My PingPongBoy Written by: Amaranth

Chp.01 : MSN Ill tell you how I met my boyfriend. My boyfriend isnt your typical pretty boy with a mysterious past. No. DEFINI E!" N# . For one thin$% hes loud% obno&ious at times% and e&tremely blunt% and hes $ot nothin$ to hide. I 'now what you(re thin'in$)))that they(re all bad traits. *owe+er% as you $et to 'now him better alon$ the way% youll come to understand why I li'e him so much in spite of all of his flaws. And Id li'e to repeat% ALL OF HIS FLAWS. It all started when I lo$$ed onto M,N messen$er that particular day after school when I refused to do my homewor'. Wait. ,cratch that. !et me rephrase it. It all started li'e any other day. I was lo$$in$ onto M,N because I had chosen not to do my homewor'. In my case% homewor' wasnt my top priority. I mean)))its supposed to be% but hell)))you spend your entire day at school% why would you want to do more wor'My username is KoreanPrincess..*ow +ery ori$inal/ A window popup messa$e popped up se+eral seconds later% tellin$ me that someone by the username of PingPongBoy Ho!"ai#.co" has added me to his list. Damn. *ow weird is that- PingPongBoy has added me to this list and I dont e+en 'now him. 0ut wait a second here1 If 2in$2on$0oy has added me to his list1 1 hen that would mean I ha+e four people on my list now33 4easons for my happinessI dont ma'e many friends online. o be more e&act% I dont ha+e many friends offline either. o be e&tremely honest% the other three people on my lists are all my cousins. Aiiieee33 Im so happy. And its a boy333 I clic'ed on the messen$er bo& to find that 2in$2on$0oy was online3 My heart pounded and fluttered with ner+ous e&citement. My chee's were $ettin$ hot. #h no3 5hee's $ettin$ hot% heart poundin$ and hands were startin$ to sweat. #h my3 2in$2on$0oy is probably *# 3 #h yes3 Ne&t thin$ I 'new% he was messa$in$ me. PingPongBoy says: *i KoreanPrincess says: uhm% hi1 PingPongBoy says: youre cute.

I+e ne+er came across a $uy who was so upfront about it. No $uy in my school has e+er dared to approach me and tell me that I was cute. #'ay% let me be honest here. I ha+e plenty of them tellin$ me I was cute% but after that they would tell me% 'Wanna go out and have some fun together' when they really mean% 'Wanna go out and screw the living sh*t out of each other'. hey only wanted one thin$ from me. o $et into my pants)))or s'irt. hose per+erted horndo$s. I wasn(t so sure about this 2in$2on$0oy. 0ut if he was li'e them% I(ll be sure to mess with his head. KoreanPrincess says: *ow do you 'now that I am cutePingPongBoy says: saw your pic on a site KoreanPrincess says: which sitePingPongBoy says: does it matter- All that matters is that youre cute and I 6ust wanted to tell you that))) KoreanPrincess says: #h1 PingPongBoy says: you interrupted me KoreanPrincess says: I didPingPongBoy says: "es. "ou did it with the 7#h1 I hated him already. KoreanPrincess says: sorry1 PingPongBoy says: hats not you in that picture33 At this point my heart stopped poundin$ completely. .#nly because I was busted/ Damn. his is what I $et for usin$ a fa'e picture. 0ut then a$ain% loo'in$ on the bri$ht side% e+eryone does it% why couldnt I- I didn(t feel $uilty for doin$ it% so I continued to play innocent. KoreanPrincess says: #f course% thats me. What ma'es you thin' its notPingPongBoy says: cause I used to $o out with her And at this point% I swallowed my sali+a in ner+ousness. 89ulp8 Aiieee33 No3 his cant be happenin$ at all33 KoreanPrincess says: 1 My only option was to lo$ off. I did 6ust that. A few seconds later% my phone ran$. I $rabbed for my cell phone on top of my des' and chec'ed to see that it was a restricted number. My first initial thou$ht was that... 1it had to be him1 Wahhhhh3 I ha+e a feelin$ my life is $oin$ to ta'e a turn for the worst)))or the better. All because of 2in$2on$0oy has cau$ht me usin$ a fa'e picture. And now 2in$2on$0oy was callin$ me on my cell phone33 ,hould I be ecstatic and 6ump up for 6oy,ee% I had two options. ,hut off my cell% wal' away% and ne+er answer it. #r answer it to ma'e my life more interestin$. "ou see% my life had always been a tad too borin$ and a tad too normal. I needed the e&citement 6ust li'e in the stories or the mo+ies. *ey% I $ot nothin$ better to do% why not answer itWho 'new that I would end up ma'in$ a life chan$in$ decision the +ery moment I answered the phone:*ello-; I croa'ed% tryin$ to find my +oice. ,omehow it sounded small. :Why did you lo$ off-3; came the loud and irritated +oice from the other line. I $rimaced at the tone of his +oice and came with up a lie. :I ha+e dial)up. I $ot disconnected.;

:!iar.; Damn. 5ould I be anymore predictable- :Wait)))how did you $et my number- Wait)))dont answer that. "oure supposed to $et it. Its how it usually wor's%; I said% followed by a $irlish $i$$le. :*uh- What the hell are you tal'in$ about-; :,hut up. "oure supposed to tell me to meet you somewhere%; I said% twirlin$ a tendril of my hair with my fin$er% rememberin$ how in the stories% the main lead $irl always recei+es a call from main lead $uy% threatenin$ her to meet up with him or else she was $oin$ to die. :"ah3 Who says I wanna meet you- "oure probably u$ly as hell% thats why you used my e&s picture3; :Wron$. 0ecause Im way too pretty% thats why. Whod be stupid enou$h to post up their real picture on the net- he world is full of psychos% stal'ers and pedophiles and dumbasses li'e yourself3; I retorted% feelin$ li'e I wanted to ar$ue with him 6ust for the hec' of it. And)))of course% because of my lac' of maturity. 5ant really blame me for bein$ bored. :"oure retarded. If youre so damn pretty then send me your real picture. Ill be the 6ud$e.; :"ah3 ,end yours first dumbass% and Ill decide to see if youre <ualified to see my picture33; *eh% that was a $ood one. :Im tal'in$ about your picture3 Why do you want mine for- 2lannin$ on chec'in$ me out-; ,tupid idiot had me there. I was sort of rendered speechless. And bein$ rendered speechless% I blurted out%:0ecause))) because u$ly people arent allowed to see my pic3; :"ah3 *ow do you 'now Im u$ly-; :I wasnt tal'in$ about you.; :=ust shut up and send me your real pic3; :F8c' you. "ou thin' Id send it on your command 2IN92#N9)))EEE 0#". I dont 'now you. For all I 'now% you could be $ay. "our features must be so feminine that it could ma'e a pretty $irl li'e me 6ealous of you%; I rambled on with my meanin$less insults. :08tch. Dont ma'e fun of my name. And I loo' nothin$ li'e them $ay retards who post their pictures online. hose $uys don(t ha+e half the balls I $ot. 9ee>% Im not that desperate for attention.; ,tupid idiot made fun of his own name. Who in the hell would come up with a name li'e that:#h yeah% 2in$2on$)))eeee boy. What you $onna do- "our threats are meanin$less at the moment. Im not afraid of you333; I s<uealed o+er the phone. :=ust because youre a $irl% doesnt mean I wont do anythin$ to you. And <uit s<uealin$ so damn loud% you sound li'e a f8c'in mice. If your +oice sounds this horrible% I bet your face is no different. I feel sorry for you. Its no wonder why you used a fa'e picture.; :"ou try anythin$ and my oppa will 'ic' your f8c'in( ass3; :"our oppa- Which- "our boyfriend or your older brother-; :0oth of them3; I blurted. *e snorted o+er the line. :?yeah ri$ht% loser. "ou probably dont ha+e an older brother or a boyfriend. 2robably too u$ly to 'eep them both.; Wahhh3 he ner+e of the $uy. *e was ri$ht about one thin$. I didnt ha+e an older brother or a boyfriend. I had a youn$er bratty brother who would most li'ely $o a$ainst me rather than to defend me. *owe+er% he was wron$ about me bein$

u$ly. Im not u$ly. In fact% Im pretty. @ery pretty. E+eryone tells me so. :,hut up% youre 6ust hatin$ because Im not showin$ you my pic3; : hen show it% so we can end this thin$.; :Im not showin$ it unless you show me yours3 And why do you want to see my picture so bad- Are you that determined to win me o+er- 9osh% you must be one desperate motherf8c'er.; :"ah3 What do you ha+e to hide but your u$ly face from me- "oure a chic'en. #nly u$ly people hide their faces3; 9osh% he was raisin$ his +oice louder and louder e+ery time. My ears were startin$ to hurt. I raised my own +oice to match his. :"ah3 =ust li'e you33; :08tch%; he $rumbled under his breath. ruthfully% I ne+er met anyone who cursed so much before. I ha+e ne+er been cursed at by a $uy that way so that really $ot me fired up. :AAAhole.; :!o$ on.; :Fine. Its a deal.; I hun$ up on him and lo$$ed onto M,N. 2in$2on$0oy messa$ed me ri$ht away. PingPongBoy says: send it KoreanPrincess says: hold up% idiot PingPongBoy says: whate+er% u$ly KoreanPrincess says: send yours first% 2in$B9!")))oops% I mean 2in$2on$)))eeeeeeeeeee3 *e lo$$ed off and fi+e seconds later% he lo$$ed bac' on. I <uic'ly chan$ed my screen name to PingPongBoyHa!er. PingPongBoy says: no% you send yours PingPongBoyHa!er says: What happenedPingPongBoy says: nothin$. What the f8c'. Whats up with the snPingPongBoyHa!er says: you li'ePingPongBoy says: chan$e it ri$ht now PingPongBoyHa!er says: 'e'e'e% no3 PingPongBoy says: b8tch. =ust send the f8c'in pic% alri$ht PingPongBoyHa!er says: o'ay. "ou dont ha+e to swear% motherf8c'er I searched for the file and found it. hen I sent him the file. hirty seconds later after recei+in$ the file1 PingPongBoy says: youre pretty PingPongBoyHa!er says: yea% I 'now3 PingPongBoy says: but thats not you% is itPingPongBoyHa!er says: how do you 'nowPingPongBoy says: I 'now because thats my e&s cousin PingPongBoyHa!er says: 2uahahaha)))I !IED33 PingPongBoy says: W*" DID "#B !IE-33 PingPongBoyHa!er says: Its not a crime to use other peoples picture. I dont thin' theres a law a$ainst that. And I lied because Im not stupid enou$h to send you my real pic% DBM0A,,3 2BA*A*A*AA3 I <uic'ly lo$$ed off% reached for my cell phone to turn it off. "ou see% I was one of those $irls who went browsin$ on the internet% sa+in$ people(s picture and messin$ around with anyone I chatted to. It was a sort of li'e a $ame I played to 'eep me entertained. I really ne+er thou$ht that I(d end up

$ettin$ busted thou$h. My name is !ee =i Won. I stand at C(CD. I ha+e lon$ sil'y hair that I li'e to tie bac' once in a while. "ou could say that I was one of the few fortunate ?orean $irls who was $ifted with naturally lar$e round eyes with lon$ lashes that would $et other $irls assumin$ I had plastic sur$ery done to them. Im EF years old% and Im the prettiest $irl in my school. No% I(m not $oin$ to hide the fact that I(m pretty. My mom says to me once% "Don't ever be ashame of your beauty." ,o I $rew up embracin$ it instead. I sound conceited% don(t I- ee *ee. It(s o'ay% we all are in some ways. 0ein$ the prettiest of them all% the $irls claimed me as the schools slut. And bein$ labeled as the schools slut% all the $uys assumed I was a brainless beauty who was only $ood at one thin$. hat I would let them inside my pants/. Ah% the misconceptions of a hi$hschooler li'e myself. hats the thin$ about people these days. hey cant let you li+e happily. If youre u$ly% they ma'e fun of you. If youre pretty they ma'e you loo' bad. And if youre normal% they call you abnormal for bein$ too normal. 9osh% I hate humans. 888 he ne&t day at school durin$ history class% ?im ,oo =in handed me an anonymous letter. ?im ,oo =in was the only loyal friend worth 'eepin$. All the others that called friends were a bunch of two)faces. ,oo =in wasnt the prettiest $irl in school. In fact% ,oo =in was a little on the chubby side. ,he always complains about her appearance and claims that she is always on a diet. D"ah3 Why are you starin$ at me- 4ead the damn letter3D ,oo =in said% sho+in$ the letter into my face. I read the letter. Lee Ji Won. I know who you are. I ll meet you outside after school. !! "ing"ong#oy 888

:"ah3 ,oo =in)ah. What the hell am I $oin$ to do-; I as'ed her after class was o+er. :9o and find out if hes cute. If he is% then this is your story% =i Won. his is the moment you $et yourself a real boyfriend%; ,oo =in said% co+erin$ her mouth with her e&pression driftin$ off dreamily. :#h my $od. I can see it now. he beautiful !ee =i Won arm)in)arm with this mysterious 2in$2on$0oy.; ,oo =in was one of them dreamers. ,he reads too many boo's and assumed that reality was 6ust li'e it. I sho+ed her in the head to $et her to snap out of it. :Are you $onna come with me-; ,oo =in frowned. :With the possibility of $ettin$ beat up- No way%; she answered before ta'in$ off in a run. I chased after her down the hallway li'e a madwoman . :"ah3 Wait)))youre not $oin$ anywhere3 5ome bac' here3; ,he called o+er her shoulder. :I cant stay here% I ha+e an appointment with my plastic sur$eon3; And then W*AM3 ,oo =in ran into the door. ee *ee. *ow ironic. Now she really needs one. I called to her% tryin$ hard to contain my lau$hter. :"ah% ,oo =in)ah3 "ou o'ay-; :"eah1; she answered while holdin$ onto her nose shamefully. DI(ll see you later% =i Won.D With that% she was $one.

,o much help from my loyal friend. I went outside and $radually loo'ed around to see if he mi$ht be standin$ out there. No one was around e&cept for a tall $uy% leanin$ a$ainst the tree with his hands tuc'ed inside his poc'ets. *is styled hair hun$ in his face and he had the prettiest 6aw line. *is s'in was flawless resemblin$ those manne<uins inside those shops. *is lips loo'ed so 'issable. And he had those dar' allurin$ eyes that you could drown yourself in. Aiiiee33 It has to be him3 I was lost in the moment. !ost in his presence. !ost in him. When he settled his eyes upon me% he ac'nowled$ed me with a nod of his head. And then he opened his mouth to spea'. $Lee %i Won.& Aiii333 hat +oice3 #h my $od. It melted my heart. 0ut yet somehow it sounded +a$uely familiar at the same time... ,omethin$ hard struc' the bac' of my head% throwin$ my head forward. What the f8c'I spun around to come face to face with an a+era$e loo'in$ $uy dressed in bas'etball 6ersey% alon$ with trac' pants% wearin$ a cap% and bouncin$ a bas'etball while chewin$ opened)mouth on a piece of $um. *e was sli$htly dar'er than any other $uy I+e met before. *is lips were placed in a sneer as if he was moc'in$ me. And his almond eyes were chec'in$ me out in a way that made me completely uncomfortable. *e was tall for one thin$. 2robably standin$ around si& feet. Althou$h to my dismay% he was nowhere near $ood)loo'in$ if you as' me. *e continued to bounce the bas'etball% 6uttin$ out his chin as if he wanted to say somethin$ offensi+e. I loo'ed down at the ball and reali>ed what had struc' my head earlier. :"ah3 Did you 6ust hit my head with that bas'etball-3; *e smir'ed at me. :"eah% I did. Wipe that drool off your chin first before you spea' to me. "oure sendin$ it my way.; :"ou)))D I made an attempt to $rab at the bas'etball so that I could hit him bac' with it. *e mo+ed it out of my reach and said% :"ou thou$ht he was me% huh-; I turned bac' to the $ood)loo'in$ $uy who was now flirtin$ with some $irl. :No%; I answered% utterly disappointed that the real 2in$2on$0oy was the one standin$ in front of me instead of the hot loo'in$ one by the tree. :,orry to disappoint you% but I prefer not to loo' $ay%; came his flat monotone +oice. :"ah3 =ust because youre u$ly doesnt mean you can call other $uys $ay for bein$ prettier than you are3; :Id rather be u$ly than loo' li'e a $irl%; he said% chewin$ loudly on his piece of $um. I $lared hatefully at him% wonderin$ if he did the 7chewin$ bit to annoy me on purpose. :I feel sorry for you.; :I dont need your pity. 0ye%; he said% wal'in$ off as if nothin$ had 6ust happened. I felt cheated for some reason. his was the $uy I had it out with online. his was the one I thou$ht was goo'(#oo)ing. :"ah3 his is it- his is all that youre $oin to say-; :I came by to chec' you out. I didnt come by to ma'e a con+ersation with you.; 5hec' me out- :"ah3 At least tell me what you thin'% you dumbass3; *e stopped% turned his head to the side and said% :No. Ill 'eep my opinions to myself. hat way I wont ma'e you worst than a conceited b8tch that you already are.; I didnt 'now whether to ta'e that as a compliment or and insult. he moment he disappeared out of my +iew% I bawled my eyes out.

"eah% I cried li'e a baby. Chp.0* : CryBa+y I cry all the time. hats one thin$ I ne$lected to mention. Im somewhat of a sensiti+e frea'. If someone tal'ed behind my bac' its o'ay% but if they called me names in front of my face% thats a different story. It hurt enou$h to ha+e someone call you a b8tch in front of your face% and it was worst to ha+e a $uy tell you that. 0ut that wasnt the only reason why I had cried. Another reason was because 2in$2on$0oy wasnt $ood)loo'in$ as I e&pected. I wo'e up the ne&t mornin$ to disco+er that I had been sleepin$ in a bed scattered with my own snot tissues. I slid off the bed and hurried to stand in front of the mirror to catch a $limpse of my appearance. My $oodness. I loo'ed li'e a frea'. My face was all puffy and my hair resembled a birds nest. It was li'e I was wa'in$ up into a ni$htmare. My an$er resurfaced the moment I thou$ht about 2in$2on$0oy. :A22AAAA333; I cried tu$$in$ at my fathers shirtslee+e the moment I was downstairs. :*e called me conceited333 "ou dont thin' Im conceited% do you-33; My father pulled his arm away% shiftin$ his chair further away from me. :No. Why would he thin' that-; :Maybe because she always tal's about how pretty her face is and how flawless it is and how her body is so well) proportioned and how sil'y and smooth her hair is and how flat her tummy is%; inter6ected my youn$er brother !ee =in *yun$ who didnt e+en bother ta'in$ a breath when he said that. =in *yun$ is a twel+e)year)old little bastard who en6oys ma'in$ my life miserable. *e says the ri$ht thin$s to $et me tic'ed off. :,hut up before I stuff my fist into your mouth%; I snic'ered at him. *e put on a pouty face. :Aww)))but then you would be brea'in$ your nails. And I would end up bitin$ one of your fin$ers off% noona.; :?ids% thats enou$h%; my mother said as she brou$ht o+er the plate of panca'es that she has specifically prepared for me. =in *yun$ snatched for it first and made his mar' by spittin$ his sali+a on it. :=IN *"BN933; we all shouted at once. *e smiled innocently before stabbin$ the panca'es with his for' and stuffin$ it into his small mouth. My father reached out to slap the bac' of his head% ma'in$ him spill out the contents from his mouth. =in *yun$s mouth hun$ opened. *e was starin$ wide)eye at what my father did. :Now% you will $ather the pieces you spat out and chew it all o+er a$ain.; :No3; =in *yun$ said stubbornly. Fa+oritism ran in my family. My father was always on my side and my mother always stuc' up for the little brat. ,he treated him as if he was *ea+ens $ift sent down for her to ta'e care of. If you as' me% Id say the 'id was the de+ils spawn. :Are you $oin$ a$ainst my orders% =in *yun$-3; My father burst in reaction. And my mother% fa+orin$ the little brat% decided to cut in. :Now% be easy on the child.; =in *yun$ smiled e+illy at me. :Bmma33 ell the little runt to stop starin$ before I po'e his eyes out with my for'33; I yelled loudly.

=in *yun$ pouted at my mother. I 'ic'ed him from under the chair. *e screamed. I pushed my chair bac' to $et up. :Im done. ime for school.; I 'issed my parents chee's and reached to pluc' out a strand of =in *yun$s hair% causin$ him to wail li'e a baby. =in *yun$ was not only a brat% but he was also a crybaby. 5ryin$ ran in my family too. It was hereditary. "ou could blame it on my mother. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% =in *yun$ threw a for' at the bac' of my head as I was wal'in$ away. It hurt li'e a b8tch. And seein$ that it hit me% I spun around an$rily and $rabbed at his chair to throw him off. *e wailed e+en louder% clawin$ at my face and $rabbin$ a fistful of my hair as he fell. My eyes watered to the point I had tears runnin$ down my face. :,hut the f8c' up% you crybaby3; I yelled as I i$nored my parents shouts and rushed out of the house without a second thou$ht. 888 I went to school with my head han$in$ low. It was bad enou$h that my eyes were puffy% e+en worst% ha+in$ a bi$ swollen bruise at the bac' of my head and not to mention the claw mar' that =in *yun$ had left on my face. ,oo =in was starin$ at me as I sat down on my seat. :,ee. I 'new it3 "ou $ot beat up by 2in$2on$0oy3; :I didnt $et beat up% alri$ht%; I said% refusin$ to del+e further into the topic of the oh)so)arro$ant f8c'head who went by the alias of 2in$2on$0oy. : hen what happened-; :*e called me a conceited b8tch and wal'ed away after he su$$osedly chec'ed me out.; ,oo =in co+ered her mouth to pre+ent herself from lau$hin$. :#h my. *es thats blunt-; :"ah3 What are you tryin$ to say- hats Im really a conceited b8tch-; 2erhaps it was the truth% but I still li'e to be in denial. ,oo =in nodded. :"ou are)))but its a $ood thin$. hin' of it as a $ood thin$%; she stated apprehensi+ely. :,o why are you loo'in$ not so you today-; :=ust ha+in$ a bad hair day% thats all%; I said% tryin$ to flatten down my hair with my hands. :,o youre tellin$ me that whene+er you ha+e a bad hair day% you turn into a $houl-; I shot her a loo' and then retorted% :I wouldnt be spea'in$. At least my nose isnt banda$ed.; ,oo =in smiled. :I thou$ht I bro'e my nose. Bp until the doc told me that my nose is so flat that its impossible to $et it bro'en. I told him to slap the banda$e on it anyway so I could $et e+eryone to thin' that Im $ettin$ my nose done.; 0y now e+eryone had $athered into class ta'in$ their ri$htful places in their seats. ,oo =in leaned in closer to me. :I heard were $ettin$ a new transfer student today. And its a $uy. All the $irls are dyin$ to see how he loo's li'e.; hat pee'ed my interest. :Does he ha+e reputation of +iolent beha+iors- #r is he one of those $uys who are meant to be in colle$e by now but hes too dumb% so they 'eep him in hi$h school fore+er-;

,oo =in shoo' her head. :We all 'now nothin$ about this $uy. Which is e+en better. I li'e mysterious $uys. #h my% I can ima$ine him now. *a+e you seen 7My tutor friend- ?won ,an$ Woo was so hot in there. I ima$ine him to be somethin$ li'e that.; As if on cue% Mrs. 5hoiG the history teacher entered the classroom with some male student% followin$ reluctantly behind. I had to s<uint my eyes to see to $et a closer loo' at him. ,oo =ins hand immediately shot out to close around mine% s<uee>in$ ti$htly. :#h sh8t. hats him3; he entire class stopped what they were doin$ and focused their attention on Mrs. 5hoi and the new transfer student. Why didnt I thin' of this- It was all so predictable. 2in$2on$0oy was $oin$ to be in my class. :And class. oday we ha+e a new transfer student. *is name is 2ar' =un$ ,an$. 2lease welcome him%; Mrs. 5hoi announced cheerfully. 2in$2on$0oy stood there in the school uniform% loo'in$ e&tremely bored and uninterested. And li'e the pre+ious day before% he was chewin$ on a piece of $um. *e was beha+in$ li'e he had e+ery ri$ht to chew on it. his $uy was somethin$. I wasnt surprised when the $uys in class $a+e him short derisi+e snorts and the $irls all loo'ed away ob+iously uninterested in him. I was one of the $irls who loo'ed away. As I was doin$ so% I reali>ed there was an empty des' beside me. his 2ar' =un$ ,an$ would ha+e no option but to sit ne&t to me. Must do somethin$ about it. I o+erheard one of the $irls in our class discussin$ somethin$ that hadnt to do with anythin$. %I had it $ierced down there.& %'eally( Doesn t it hurt(& %Why would it) everyone gets it $ierced down there first.& %'eally( #ut isn t that *ust wrong(& A $i$$le. %+o) silly. ,ou re thinking about something else. I was s$eaking of my bellybutton.& More $irlish lau$hter filled the air. Dumb b8tches. I made a face and turned to my ri$ht where some of the $uys were seated. %,ou think she s wearing a bra(& %I saw her $anties the other time she bent down to $ick u$ her books-& 0oyish lau$hter filled the air. Ah% $uys. hey were all do$s. :Why dont you $o ahead and introduce yourself to the class-; Mrs. 5hoi su$$ested% loo'in$ a little ner+ous. :And I appreciated if you could please remo+e that $um from your mouth% than' you%; she <uic'ly added raisin$ her +oice a bit hi$her is an attempt to $et the class to listen to her. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ opened his palm and spat the $um ri$ht into it. And then he rolled it up into a ball% finally $ettin$ the class to ac'nowled$e him in a repulsi+e way. *e waited patiently in silence before he spo'e. :My name is 2ar' =un$ ,an$. I+e won the hi$h school national 2in$)2on$ competition%; he paused% throwin$ the $um into the air and then archin$ his other hand up% he whac'ed it in mid)air while finishin$ off his introduction% :and I hate school.; he piece of $um flew across the room to bounce off my shoe and landed ri$ht into some $irls hair. Nobody saw it. I dont thin' anyone cared% but I did. And I rather not say anythin$ about it since I hated her. An e&chan$e of hush murmurs suddenly rose in the air. It was no wonder why he called himself 2in$2on$0oy. *e played 2in$ 2on$ and claimed to be a champ at it.

B$h)))I bet hes lyin$. Mrs. 5hoi forced a smile to her face. :*eh. Bhm)))you may $o and choose a seat.; hats the thin$ about Mrs. 5hoi% she let her class control her instead of her controllin$ the class. ,he was a stran$e teacher who ne+er yells. ,he had always been sort of mellow and too damn nice. Appearance wise% Mrs. 5hoi wasnt the prettiest. *er face was unattracti+e but it was her body that the $uys o$led o+er. 2in$2on$0oy eyes searched an empty des' and e+entually landed on the unoccupied one ne&t to mine. I stretched my left le$ out so that I could mo+e it further away from me. he sound of screechin$ was heard and e+eryone turned to loo' at me. I lifted my te&tboo' and buried my face in it. I heard his slow footsteps approachin$ closer and closer. When I felt that he was close enou$h% I pee'ed from behind my boo' and stuc' my foot out so that he would trip o+er it. *e didnt howe+er. *e stepped on it instead. Wah3 hat bastard33 *e didnt e+en loo' at me when he sat down. :"ah3 "ou bastard. Mind if you mo+e your des' to the ri$ht a little- "our head is in my way3; =un$ ,an$ was hummin$ cra>ily to himself% purposefully i$norin$ the $ood)loo'in$ ?im ae Woo. he ul66an$ of our school. he tou$h $ood)loo'in$ popular $uy that e+ery $irl had a crush on. ae Woos picture was posted all o+er the internet. *e was famous for his pretty face. here was a rumor $oin$ around that ?im ae Woo recently stuffed some $uys head in the toilet because that $uy had used the urinal with his name on it. I wouldnt say that I secretly crushed on ?im ae Woo. I didnt li'e him for his personality% but only for his loo's. o be honest% he was only eye candy and nothin$ else. *is personality was a bi$ turn off to me. Who can li'e a $uy who was more into himself than anythin$ elseFindin$ that =un$ ,an$ i$nored him% ae Woo nud$ed =un$ ,an$s chair with his foot. :"ah3 Are you deaf-; 2in$2on$0oy raised his one brow and said aloud% :Are you that desperate to chec' her out- ,he has an u$lier face than my $randmother.; he class seemed to ha+e focused on the two of them now% mainly because e+eryone around school 'new ne+er to mess with ?im ae Woo. 2in$2on$0oy was ma'in$ the bi$$est mista'e in his life)))thats if he +alued it enou$h. ae Woo $rabbed at his noteboo' and tossed it directly at the bac' of =un$ ,an$s head. :What the f8c' are you tal'in$ about% pun'-3; I swallowed in ner+ousness. his wasnt $oin$ to be $ood. Who am I 'iddin$- his was definitely $oin$ to be $ood. =un$ ,an$ 6ust sat there li'e a dummy% unaffected by ae Woos action. :"ou wanted me to mo+e my des' so you can chec' out the teachers breasts%; he said aloud and shamelessly. :*a+ent you had enou$h of that when your mother was breastfeedin$ you-; Mrs. 5hoi% suddenly aware that the two students were tal'in$ about her% opened up the boo' in front of her and hid behind it the way I had done earlier. ,he chose to i$nore% rather than confront. I wondered why she did that.

?im ae Woo stood up and flipped his des' o+er in a fit of an$er. And then he $rabbed at =un$ ,an$s collar and forced him to stand. ae Woo was a little shorter than him% but both stood there $larin$ at each other as if they were preparin$ to tear each other apart. I smiled% hopin$ ae Woo would beat the crap out of 2in$2on$0oy. he students in the class <uic'ly shifted their des's so that they could watch the ar$ument turn into a fi$ht. ?im ae Woo e&pression softened and his lips cur+ed into a smile instead. :9lad to see you a$ain.; *e patted =un$ ,an$s shoulder. :,till the same hardass pun'% huh-; =un$ ,an$ smir'ed. :Always%; he replied. ?im ae Woo turned to Mrs. 5hoi and bowed in apolo$y. :,orry for the scene. I 6ust felt li'e doin$ that.; Mrs. 5hoi stood up. :We can be$in now% ri$ht-; :4i$ht%; ae Woo said% wal'in$ o+er to prop up his des' and then slapped the bac' of =un$ ,an$s head one last time. I sat there stunned by all that 6ust happened. I couldnt belie+e that the two were friends3 Chp. 0, - %.s! !ha! gir# It was that time a$ain. !unchtime. he time when all the $irls rushes to the cafeteria to catch a $limpse of ?im ae Woo and his circle of friends. his time howe+er% they all wanted to catch a $limpse of the new transfer student who has caused <uite a stir from the moment he arri+ed. he $uys : I ll kick his ass in $ing!$ong or any other s$ort there is. .e looks like a com$lete loser. /s a matter!of!fact) I ll *ust kick his ass. 0im 1ae Woo s friend) huh( .e s not $retty enough. .e looks too normal. 1he $unk thinks he s the sh*t. Let s *um$ him after school. he $irls : "ark Jung 2ang) huh( If he is anywhere near good!looking as 0im 1ae Woo) I d sneak into his house while he s in the shower and give him a s$ecial sur$rise. Does he have nice hair( What(- .e s friends with 0im 1ae Woo( 888 ,oo =in and I were seated at the end of the cafeteria% eatin$ our lunch and chattin$ amon$st oursel+es when suddenly !hey entered. 2retty)face ?im ae Woo entered the cafeteria followed by the other pretty boys who had this unnaturally $low about them. =ust li'e in the mo+ies% ?im ae Woo 'new how to ma'e an entrance. #nly ?im ae Woo and his followers went a$ainst school rules to modify their uniform 6ust so they could distin$uish themsel+es from the rest. None of them wore their bla>ers. And their ties were loosened% shirt un)tuc'ed at the waist and hands tuc'ed in their poc'ets. 9osh% what losers% I thou$ht as my eyes strained to see' for the arro$ant 2in$2on$boy. ,urprisin$ enou$h% he was nowhere in si$ht.

I let out a si$h of relief. :=i Won. ,omethin$ is not ri$ht about them today. *ow come theyre not sittin$ down-; ,oo =in pointed out. What ,oo =in said was true. None of them sat down at their usual table that no one e+er dared to $o near. ?im ae Woo went o+er to the center of the cafeteria and commanded some $uy to $i+e up his chair to him. he $uy obeyed and retreated far away from ae Woo and his followers. We all watched in silent as he stood onto the chair% cleared his throat and said hoarsely% : hroat is dry. ,omeone has oran$e 6uice-; *alf the $irls in the cafeteria scrambled to offer him oran$e 6uice. I snorted at their ea$erness. :,tupid $irls%; I muttered% loo'in$ o+er to ,oo =in who wasnt at her seat either. I reali>ed that she was one of them stu$id girls. : han' you%; he said% after ta'in$ a sip of the oran$e 6uice. :Anyway% I 6ust wanted to say that from this day forward% I% ?im ae Woo has officially decided to loo' for a $irlfriend1; he crowd of $iddy $irls started to murmur e&citedly amon$st themsel+es. ?im ae Woo loo'in$ for a $irlfriend- *e ne+er had a problem of findin$ one to place his arms around or e+en ma'e)out with% why was he announcin$ that he was loo'in$ for one ri$ht now- ,omehow% I sense somethin$ wron$ with the situation. A few $irls who sat nearby started to say somethin$ that my ears could not help from hearin$. 3h my gosh. +ow I don t have to sneak into his room anymore. 1his time it ll be free access-& %2hut u$. It s not like he s going to choose you out of all the hundred girls here. /nd if he was to choose one) I ll make sure it s me-& ae Woo tuc'ed his hands into his poc'ets and scanned his eyes around the cafeteria before he spo'e a$ain. :Now% to ma'e this simple. Id li'e all the $uys to lea+e this cafeteria startin$ from now. "ou ha+e a minute to $et off your ass and head for the e&it doors before I start $ettin$ annoyed.; ae Woo had the power to control e+ery student in the school because his father happens to be some rich bastard and friends with the president of the school. he $uys all stood up and be$an to e&it throu$h the doors. After they all left% ae Woos followers went to $uard the door. ae Woo stepped from the chair onto the table. :Im lettin$ you 'now ri$ht now that you $irls dont ha+e a choice. Actually% you should feel luc'y and pri+ile$ed that I+e decided that I will choose one of you.; All the $irls screamed in e&citement% clappin$ their hands as if ae Woo was performin$ some 'ind of stunt. 2lease. 5ould this be anymore lame,eein$ that all of this was startin$ to annoy the sh8t out of me% I stood up and raised my hand. All the $irls $lared murderously at me for bein$ so bold. ae Woo turned to re$ard me. :!ee =i Won. Im not surprised that you+e chosen to be the first. I+e always thou$ht that you harbored a secret crush on me%; he said% wal'in$ closer to where my table was. I i$nored his snide remar' and said% :"ou said were not $i+en a choice- 5ould you be more specific-; :"ou dont ha+e a choice to decline%; he answered% finally reachin$ our table and loo'in$ down at me. :,in$le or not% youre not $i+en a choice to decline.; ,oo =in was on the other side% co+erin$ her mouth in shoc'..More li'e hyper+entilatin$/

:Well% what if youre not interested- What would happen if I choose to decline-; I in<uired. I could hear the hush whispers from the $irls now. 2tu$id. What does she think she s doing( 2he s only $retending to act uninterested. What a b*tch. .ow dare you s$eak so boldly in front of him. :,'inny% fat% u$ly or pretty. No $i+en choices% huh-; I <uestioned him further. For a moment% I thou$ht I had him. *e loo'ed rather pu>>led. And then he remo+ed his hands from his poc'ets and said% :Ill be the 6ud$e of that.; *e an$led his face sli$htly to the side and said% :2ar' =un$ ,an$. Which ones do you li'e-; All the $irls $asped in unison. I fro>e. 2in$2on$0oy was there too:=ust that $irl%; came the reply from the far end. I loo'ed past ?im ae Woo to see 2in$2on$0oy sittin$ all alone% chewin$ opened)mouth on his food as if he en6oyed it. he $irls all $asped once a$ain. ae Woo turned to loo' at me <uestionin$ly. :*er-; : hat one.; Aiieee33 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was helpin$ ?im ae Woo out?im ae Woo smiled at me. :9uess what- Its your luc'y day. "ou+e now officially become 2ar' =un$ ,an$s $irlfriend.; he cafeteria erupted into a shroud of moc'in$ lau$hter. I could feel the blood bein$ drained from my face. I stood there mortified and stunned at the same time. :0ut)))but I thou$ht yo. were loo'in$ for a $irlfriend-; I as'ed ae Woo in disbelief. ae Woo chuc'led. :A $irlfriend- Why ha+e a $irlfriend when I already ha+e plenty of $irlfriends-; *e 6umped off the table and placed a hand o+er my shoulder% leadin$ me to where 2ar' =un$ ,an$ sat. :!et me brea' it down to you. =un$ ,an$ is a close friend of mine. *es been heartbro'en once. I dont want that happenin$ to him a$ain.; I shoo' my head% tryin$ to hold my $round. :0ut wait)))I cant be. I dont want to be. I mean this is stupid3; : hen you are insultin$ me because this was my idea%; ae Woo said. hen it ma'es you retarded for thin'in$ of it in the first place% you retard333 I wanted to yell aloud. All that came out was% :Why me-; :Who 'nows- Maybe hes interested in you-; *e wasnt interested in me. *e only wanted to $et bac' at me for usin$ his e&s picture. here was no way in hell that he would be interested in me. I suddenly felt li'e a rac' of meat and bones bein$ fed to 2in$2on$0oy who would probably chew on me opened)mouth. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% ae Woo sho+ed me rou$hly towards 2ar' =un$ ,an$ who stood up to meet me face to face. "ou could say that I $ot a closer loo' at his face. *owe+er% I didnt ha+e time to chec' him out thorou$hly. *e was already

dra$$in$ me away from e+eryone. When we were alone% he released my arm. :I dont li'e you. 0ut theres a reason why I chose you out of all those $irls.; :Why-; :0ecause I hate pretendin$ to smile for someone I dont li'e. I hate li'in$ people. I find it so much easier to hate. And I hate those $irls.; ,tran$e answer. I dont thin' I understood him. :And myself-; :"oure someone I can sort of tolerate.; :Why do you need a $irlfriend then-; :I dont.; :*uh-; :I need you to help me with somethin$.; :What is that-; :I need you to pretend to be my $irlfriend.; :0ut))): :"ou cant say no.; :Why not- I dont 'now you. I dont want to 'now you. Why cant I say no- What you $onna do-; *e smir'ed% steppin$ toward me. :I ha+e the power to do anythin$ to you if I wanted to.; I said nothin$% uncertain by what he said. My le$s were 6ust itchin$ to ta'e off. :"ou want me to elaborate on it-; I was already ta'in$ off down the hall before he had a chance to do so. I ran into the $irls washroom and entered one of the stalls% loc'in$ it behind me. ,e+eral minutes later% there was a 'noc' on the door. I panic'ed and shouted out% :9et the hell out of here3; A hand $rabbed at my an'le and the ne&t thin$ I 'new% I was hu$$in$ the toilet seat% refusin$ to let $o as I tried to 'ic' at him. :9et lost you frea'333; I yelled. he door burst opened and there stood the frustrated loo'in$ 2in$2on$0oy. :"oure $ettin$ me an$ry. 5ome out now.; Chp.0/- 0a)e a 'eep +rea!h :"ah3 5ouldnt you be more normal and hold me by my arm% you bastard. Dont treat me li'e a f8c'in do$33; I screamed at him as we descended down the steps towards the subway station. After school% 2in$2on$0oy had waited for me outside of my class and told me I had to $o somewhere with him. *e didnt e&plain why. I didnt bother as'in$ him because it was a waste of my breath. 0esides% I didnt want him to feel annoyed because I $et annoyed easily too. And at that moment% I was really annoyed at how he was treatin$ me. ,o I b8tched. 08tchin$ for me wasnt a waste of breath. *e released the collar of my shirt and sho+ed me forward. :Huit your b8tchin for once. My ears are startin$ to hurt%; he

snic'ered at me. 2eople that we past eyed us with stran$ely. hey were probably thin'in$% 4What is she doing with him(- .e s not even good!lookingI stopped to turn around and $lared +enomously at him. :!oo'. I wont let you push me around. ,ho+e me a$ain and Ill throw you on the trac's so the train can run you o+er3; *e sho+ed me on the shoulder. :"ah3 What you $onna do- 9o ahead. a'e my arm% throw me on the trac's3; I $rimaced at the tone he was usin$ with me. Also I was $rowin$ accustomed to his annoyin$ habit of spea'in$ into my face. I shrie'ed and pushed his face away. :F8c'in bastard. 9o eat sh8t3; :What did you 6ust say-33; he burst% steppin$ toward me. :Apolo$i>e ri$ht now3; :No3; I retorted stubbornly% turnin$ my bac' on him% thin'in$ of how much I wanted to beat his head in. *e forced me to spin around. :Am I in+isible to you- Why are you turnin$ the other way-; I too' a deep breath% clenched my hands to$ether and screamed at the top of my lun$s. :Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh33333; It appeared as if e+eryone had stopped what they were doin$ and turned their full attention onto us. 2in$2on$0oy 6ust stood there with a bored e&pression on his face. I loo'ed around helplessly% reali>in$ that I attracted more than 6ust the re$ular a+era$e people on the streets. ,i& $uys came out of nowhere and be$an to close in on us. #ne of them was holdin$ onto a steel bat. 9an$ members% perhaps,h8t =i Won% youre so damn smart. :*ey sweetie% need some help-; one of them as'ed from behind me. :Is the pun' botherin$ you-; I turned around to answer him. :No. Actually we were 6ust practicin$ for our drama class1; #ne of them inter6ected% :4eally- Were you pretendin$ to be scared because to me it loo'ed more li'e you were an$ry and frustrated. ,ort of psychotic if you as' me.; a'e a deep breath% =i Won. Inhale. E&hale. 0reathe. Ne&t thin$ I 'new% I was sho+ed aside by 2in$2on$0oy. :I am botherin$ her. Whats it to you% dumbass-; he said% steppin$ up to them. I 6ust reali>ed that 2in$2on$0oy mi$ht be the dumbest person on the planet. Who in their ri$ht mind would want to pro+o'e some $an$ membershe answer was ri$ht in front of my eyes. :,he loo's pretty tasty. "ou thin' we could share-; the $uy as'ed 2in$2on$0oy. Damn. hey were all bastards. : a'e whate+er you ha+e to offer and sho+e it up your own ass before I do it for you%; =un$ ,an$ said matter)of)factly. he $uy and his buddies be$an to lau$h. 2eople be$an to $ather around us in curiosity. :"ou thin' you could ta'e us all down-;

:I dont thin' it. I 'now it% you nostril)flarin$ f8c'er.; 9osh. I really dont 'now where 2in$2on$0oy came up with his insults. 0ut they were <uite funny% if you as' me. :Whate+er assh8le. "oure $onna die3; hey all be$an to attac' him at once. 2in$2on$0oy went at them the same time 6umpin$ up and throwin$ a roundhouse 'ic'% stri'in$ all of them in the face. :I ta'e martial arts%; he said as he landed. hen he easily snatched the bat off the leader. :I play baseball%; he said% swin$in$ his bat fully a$ainst the leaders head% causin$ the $uy to collapse to the $round. he audience 7oohed and 7ahhed at the scene. *e then tac'led the $uy closest to him% pinnin$ him down in an instant. :I ta'e wrestlin$.; Addin$ a blow to the $uys face% he said% :And bo&in$.; Another $uy went to $rab him from behind% attemptin$ to cho'e him while another $uy rushed to hurt him from the front. I didnt want to feel useless so I hurried to pic' up the bat and swun$ it at the $uys bac'. A crac' was heard. Bh oh. !ee =i Won. "ou bro'e some $uys bac'. *old up. *e wasnt 6ust some $uy. *e was a $uy who wanted to hurt me. I loo'ed to 2in$2on$0oy who already threw the $uy o+er his shoulder% sayin$% :I also ta'e =udo.; he $uy that was lyin$ flat on his bac'% loo'ed up at him and said% :What the f8c' else do you play-; =un$ ,an$ smiled for the first time since I met him. It was a smile of +ictory. :,occer.; he $uy whimpered and fell unconscious before =un$ ,an$ could 'ic' him. =un$ ,an$ 'ic'ed him anyway% causin$ the $uy to s<ueal awa'e. I+e ne+er met anyone so +iolent until now. *e loo'ed up at me with his hardcore face. :*and it o+er now%; he demanded% spea'in$ of the bat in my hand. :No3; *e hurried to $rab it off me and I mo+ed it bac' in a <uic' motion% unaware that I had struc' another one of them in the nut. he $uy howled% I dropped the bat and it landed on his foot. *e howled a$ain% hoppin$ on his other foot. In a matter of seconds% I was bein$ dra$$ed away by =un$ ,an$% and rushed throu$h the opened doors of the subway train. *e was close behind me% 'eepin$ a hand on my shoulder to $uide me throu$h the crowd of people. All the seats were occupied and the train was full of passen$ers. I was left standin$ ne&t to some fat $uy who 'ept peerin$ down my uniform as if I had my shirt wide opened. I shifted around to face 2in$2on$0oy. We were inches apart so I was forced to stare into his face for the +ery first time. he hair that seemed to obscure his face was a bit too lon$ and messy. I noticed the well)defined chee'bones% the <uir' of his mouth% the sharpness nose% and the mysterious eyes that $a+e away nothin$. 0ut most of all% I reali>ed my mista'e. I had o+erloo'ed him. If you were to loo' at him at first $lance% you wouldnt bother to loo' a$ain. *e had that 'ind of face where you had to stare at for a lon$ time to reali>e that he was indeed attracti+e. It was as if he put on a dis$uise to tric' e+eryone to thin'in$ he was unattracti+e% until they were able to peel it all away to disco+er somethin$ more to him. 2erhaps that was the reason why I didnt ta'e any notice of him before- 0ecause he had mana$ed to 7u$lify himself in both ways. Appearance wise and personality wise.

I+e seen the chan$e in him after he sa+ed me. I noticed the difference. And from that moment on% I 'new 2in$2on$0oy would continue to in+ade my mind. When he cau$ht me loo'in$ at him% he rolled his eyes to the side and said% :Huit starin$. Its rude.; :"ah3 "oure the rude one3; I ar$ued% hopin$ that he wouldnt notice that I was flusterin$ li'e an idiot. :0y the way% mind tellin$ me where were $oin$-; :No.; :Fine.; he train slowed down all of a sudden and the li$hts be$an to flic'er. :Wahhh3 I dont want to die3; I said% feelin$ my heart racin$ out of control. :"oure not $onna die% you dummy. heres probably a $litch in the control system.; When the li$hts went out completely% I panic'ed and tu$$ed at his tie. :What if there wasnt% huh- Were all $onna die33; :5AN ,#ME#NE ,*B *E4 *E F85? B2-33; a +oiced called out. 2in$2on$0oy co+ered my mouth with his hand. I bit hard on it% causin$ him to let $o. :,h8t3; he swore% sha'in$ his hand in pain. :Bmma333 Appa333 Im so sorry that I ha+e to die this way33; I cried out in fear. :A49*33 ,*B *E4 B2333; I yelled bac' out of sheer an$er and pure annoyance. :"A*3 W*" D#N "#B ,*B *E F85? B23 I 9E 5!AB, 4#2*#0I5 AND IM AF4AID #F *E DA4?. D#N E!! ME # ,*B *E F85? B2. W*" D#N "#B 4" 0EIN9 IN M" 2#,I I#N , B5? 0E WEEN ,#ME FA ,ME!!" 2E4@E4 AND ,#ME !#,E4 W*# *A, 2M,3; :hello 'itty3 IF I FIND #B W*# "#B A4E% "#B4E 9#NNA DIE33; I turned my head 6ust enou$h so I could scan my eyes in the dar'ness. :No. "oure $onna die if I find out who you are))): he li$ht came bac' on and I was left standin$ there with 2in$2on$0oy% unable to finish what I wanted to say because I was busted. he loser who yelled at me% pointed a fin$er in my direction. :"oure cau$ht.; I buried my face into 2in$2on$0oys chest. *e smelled pretty nice. I wondered if he wore colo$ne. :Damn.; :Why are you hidin$ your face- "ou were all tou$h 6ust a minute a$o. 9o ahead%; he ur$ed% disen$a$in$ himself from me. I clun$ to him and turned my face to smile at the $uy. :Im sorry.; he $uy inclined his head and then turned away. ,o he wasnt that bad. I had thou$ht he would ha+e 6umped me. I found myself still holdin$ onto =un$ ,an$s uniform. :I ne+er 'new someone li'e you is capable of an apolo$y. I mean)))I sa+ed your ass bac' there and you didnt e+en show a hint of appreciation. I should ha+e let them ha+e their way with you.; I let him $o and said% :Whate+er.; *e a$reed% :"eah. Whate+er.;

Chp. 01- Mee! Ahn Na(Na2Ice(crea" a''ic!3 :2ar' =un$ ,an$. "ou are late as always% you u$ly teddy bear333; #h my. =ust loo'in$ at her% I wanted to reach out and pinch her chubby chee's until she bled. ,poil little brat had a face of an an$el. ,he loo'ed no older than nine. ,he was seated on the swin$% $lowerin$ at =un$ ,an$ and a+oidin$ any possible eye contact with me. :Aish3 Na)Na dont call me that in front of other people%; 2in$2on$0oy said as he went o+er to help carry her ba$. I watched in silent as he 'nelt down in front of her and said% :"ou wanted to meet her% ri$ht- hats her behind me%D I heard him whisper. What- Do I sense embarrassment from the shameless 2in$2on$0oy:*er-; Na)Na pointed out without sparin$ a $lance in my direction. *e dra$$ed me all the way here so I could meet with his an$elic little snot of a sister- I had to pretend to be his $irlfriend for what- For this little $irlAiiie333 =i Won% what e+er happened to your normal life,lowly and hesitantly she lifted her eyes to loo' o+er =un$ ,an$s shoulder and settled them onto me. I suddenly felt self) conscious. I ne+er had anyone loo'ed so coldly at me before. Wahhhh3 *er eyes were scarier than 2adako from 0he 4ing. A sneer suddenly crossed her face. :,hes u$ly%; she stated mee'ly. ,hoc'ed% stunned% humiliated and insulted at the same time% I couldnt spea'. My hands spo'e for me as I pointed at her% with widened eyes. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ burst into a fit of lau$hter and then mana$ed to calm himself down when he reali>ed that the little snot was still $lowerin$ at him. *e cleared his throat and as'ed% :Why is she u$ly to you-; he little $irl answered% :0ecause shes too pretty.; What- I did not understand why she had said that. I was $ettin$ confused by the second. First she called me u$ly and now she was sayin$ that I was pretty- 5ould it be that the little $irl had a split personality=un$ ,an$ ruffled her hair playfully. :"ou cant be u$ly and pretty at the same time% Na)Na.; :"es% you can. =ust ta'e a loo' at yourself% =un$ ,an$. "ou can be pretty but you always hide yourself behind your u$ly personality.; hat $ot =un$ ,an$ an$ry. *e stood up% dropped her bac'pac'% retortin$% :"ah3 Why are you callin$ me pretty- Im not a fa$$It3; 2B*AA**A*A*A33 FA99I 33 hey both turned to $lower at me. hats when I reali>ed I had lau$hed out loud. I cleared my throat and <uic'ly lowered my eyes in embarrassment. : his is what I mean by u$ly personality. "ou dont 'now how to control your an$er%; the little $irl said as she $ot off the swin$ and pic'ed up her bac'pac'% dustin$ the dirt from it. My $oodness. Why does she beha+e li'e she was a twenty)year old woman- And my $oodness% I found myself $rowin$ fond of her because she was darin$ enou$h to $o a$ainst 2in$2on$0oy. Althou$h it did ma'e me curious in why she hadnt called him 4o$$a.

,he then approached me with a smile on her face. ,he had one of those banana)eyes smile and her dimples shown throu$h her chee's. :Are you really his $irlfriend% or are you 6ust someone he dra$$ed o+er here to try and impress me-; :Bh1to be honest1; I loo'ed at 2in$2on$0oy who nodded% ur$in$ me to answer her. I forced a smile on my face and said% :No. Im not his $irlfriend. "es% he did force me. I ne+er really a$reed to it either. I didnt really ha+e a choice and)))D ,he si$hed% interruptin$ me. :Its o'ay. "ou dont ha+e to e&plain. I understand. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ will ne+er find a $irlfriend. All because of his u$liness.; :,he is my $irlfriend33; =un$ ,an$ ar$ued. :No. Im not3; *e $lared murderously at me. :What the f8c' is wron$ with you-3; :What the f8c' is wron$ with you-3; I countered. :Why would you lie to a little $irl- !oo' at her sweet innocent)pinchable face3; :Are you f8c'in cheatin$ on me% is that why youre denyin$ it now-; he e&ploded. My $oodness. Much props to his disconcertin$ dramatic act. If he continued to lie li'e this% I 6ust mi$ht start belie+in$ him too. :5heatin$ on you- *ow can I cheat on you when we were ne+er to$ether in the first place% you f8c'in retard33; :Dont swear in front of her33; :"ou started it% you bastard33; :Im allowed. "oure not. And if you e+er call me a bastard a$ain% Ill slap you until youre u$ly3; :Abusi+e bastard3; *e snorted% unable to come up with anythin$ else. I win. I loo'ed at Na)Na to disco+er she had disappeared. My $a>e met with =un$ ,an$. *e pointed an accusin$ fin$er at me. :If somethin$ happens to her% youll die.; ))) :Its all your damn fault3; I shouted at him. :Why didnt you tell me% you were babysittin$ her- 9osh% and I thou$ht she was your sister%; I scolded him down the street. For the past ten minutes% =un$ ,an$ was loo'in$ throu$h the $lass windows of some random shops and restaurants% hopin$ too find his niece. *e turned bac' to me and said% :"ou didnt as'. I didnt tell. "ou only as'ed where I was ta'in$ you and that(s the only thin$ I wouldn(t tell you.; *e was ri$ht. If I had in<uired about it earlier% he mi$ht ha+e told me. *owe+er% I ha+e come to disco+er a few interestin$ tidbits re$ardin$ his character. 2ar' =un$ ,an$s part)time 6ob was to baby)sit his niece. *e had a priority to drop her off and pic' her up after school. :5an I as' you somethin$ else-; *e shru$$ed. :I dont care.;

:Why did she call me u$ly-; :,he uses that term with e+eryone. If she sense some 'ind of flaw in your personality% she calls you u$ly.; :0ut I didnt say anythin$. Why did she call me u$ly-; :0eha+in$ li'e a stuc')up snob without introducin$ yourself. hat ma'es you u$ly to her.; I dont thin' Ill e+er come to understand 2in$2on$0oy or anybody else whos related to him. :B$h% its so hot. *ow lon$ are we $oin$ to loo' for her- ,hes your niece ri$ht- I ha+e nothin$ to do with this. I can $o home% ri$ht-; For a moment his brows creased in confusion and then it was <uic'ly replaced with his usual irritated e&pression. :"ah3 Who told you to follow me anyway- !ea+e for all I care. Its o+er between us. I+e reali>ed now that youre 6ust some dumb b8tch li'e all of them self)centered b8tches out there.; If there was one person who was $ood at insultin$ me in front of my face and ma'in$ me cry% that person had to be 2in$2on$0oy. *e 6ust called me a dumb b8tch. *ow come it hurt more% 'nowin$ that he mi$ht be ri$ht about the selfish part. Was I that self)centered- And what the hell% did I hear him ri$ht- #+er between us-3 :Why the f8c' are you cryin$ for. ,h8t% youre such an embarrassment% $o away before they really start to thin' were to$ether3; he said% sho+in$ me aside as if he had said nothin$ wron$. I <uic'ly wiped at my eyes. :I am nothin$ li'e them3; : he why the f8c' are you cryin$ for then-; he as'ed% ta'in$ a step toward me. I too' a step bac'. :What- "ou thin' Im $onna wipe your eyes for you and apolo$i>e- ,orry to disappoint you% Im not 2rince 5harmin$ and I ne+er will be. Now $et lost.; :I said I am nothin$ li'e them because I will $o searchin$ for Na)Na. And Im not doin$ this for your retarded ass. Im doin$ this to pro+e to you that Im not a self)centered b8tch you say I am. Now% tell me% what does Na)Na lo+es most-; ))) :I $ot bored listenin$ to the two of you ar$ue% thats why I left%; Na)Na said% spoonin$ the creamy strawberry ice cream into her small mouth. My stomach $rowled loudly at the si$ht of it. hey both loo'ed at me. :=un$ ,an$% why dont you buy her some-; Na)Na said. :I dont li'e sharin$.; I still had to $et used to the fact that Na)Na didnt li'e usin$ the courtesy terms with her elders% of course% with the e&ception of her parents. his youn$ $irl beha+ed li'e 7wal'in$ away and disappearin$ was no bi$ deal to her. I more surprised to see that 2in$2on$0oy had 'ept <uiet when he saw her. I e&pected him to throw a fit and tossed her around li'e some ra$ doll but I was wron$. Now he was 6ust sittin$ there% tappin$ his inde& fin$er a$ainst the table with his mind driftin$ off into la)la land. :Why should I-; ,tupid bastard. If only he 'new I lo+ed ice cream too. I would ha+e bou$ht myself some but bein$ bro'e doesnt help at all. :Isnt she supposed to be your $irlfriend-; :Not anymore. ,he cheated on me%; he answered without liftin$ his eyes from the table. :Did you really-; Na)Na in<uired.

I ll $lay along with your game. ,ou *ust watch) Jung 2ang. :No. *ow can I cheat on such a lo+eable boyfriend-; I said in a sarcastic tone. :I $et scared 6ust loo'in at other $uys% especially when I 'now my boyfriend will come after me with a chainsaw and cut me into a thousand pieces and ma'e stew out of me and then chew on me with his mouth wide opened and then spit me bac' out and let the +ultures ha+e their way with me.; Na)Na frowned at me. :I dont $et it. Are you bein$ sarcastic- "ou two are a stran$e couple.; ,he resumed to eatin$ her ice cream. =un$ ,an$ shifted in his seat and said% :!oo' here% Na)Na. Its time to $o home.; :I dont want to $o3; :Why not-; :0ecause today is my birthday and I want to eat all the ice)cream I can.; :What- oday is your birthday and this is how your uncle treats you-3; Na)Na pouted. :,ee% I told you hes u$ly.; :No ca'e- #r presents- No candles-3; I burst% $larin$ at =un$ ,an$. :What the hell is wron$ with you-; *e sat there unmo+ed. :I dont li'e ca'es. I li'e ice cream. =un$ ,an$s present to me is meetin$ you. 5andles- Who needs candles on ice cream-; Na)Na inter6ected as if she wanted to defend =un$ ,an$. Ah% so the reason why 2in$2on$0oy was in desperate need of a $irlfriend was because of his niece. 0ut why would his niece want that of him- oo many damn <uestions. I would say that it was sweet of him% but then Id be li'in$ him and I dont li'e him. #r do IWahhh333 What is happenin$ to me-333 Chp.05- Oh no. No! again. It was well past se+en by the time we dropped Na)Na off at the $rand house that loo'ed li'e more li'e a mansion. Na)Nas nanny came out to ta'e her inside. I wa+ed her a $ood)bye with a smile plastered on my face. he little $irl was startin$ to $row on me. I was wron$ to ha+e thou$ht she was a little snot. Huestions be$an to swarm my mind a$ain. If Na)Na and 2in$2on$0oy are related% then that would mean they were both richAnd if 2in$2on$0oy is rich% why couldn(t he clean up his appearance- I(m sure beneath that u$ly mas' of his% lies a better loo'in$ person. *ow come 2in$2on$0oy didnt $o inside with Na)Na when her nanny came to $et her- I hope he doesnt mean to say $ood)bye to me. Ah. I 'now% he has to than' me. A than's would be nice comin$ from him. And if Na)Na had a nanny% then why would she need 2in$2on$0oy as her babysitter-I thin' I ha+e a headache. his is what happens when you $et too curious. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ a.'.a 2in$2on$0oy was leanin$ bac' a$ainst the iron $ates with his $a>e cast downwards. For a moment he reminded me of those $uys that didnt ha+e to try hard and loo' $ood standin$ in that particular posture. It came naturally to him.

9osh. Damn. What the hell was I thin'in$)) hou$hts Erased )) :Its o+er. 9o home%; he muttered bitterly. :*uh-; *e mo+ed from the $ates raisin$ his +oice. :Were done. "ou can $o home3; :Why are you yellin$-3; :0ecause youre so damn slow.; ,low- *e was callin$ me slow- :And you thin' by yellin$% youre $onna $et your point across-3; :What do you e&pect me to do- ,ho+e my words into your ears and wait for it to process throu$h that slow brain of yours-3; :,crew you. Were done%; I said% turnin$ away from him. :Dont bother sayin$ $ood)bye to me. Were not friends. And I dont thin' well e+er be.; :Whate+er loser. "ou thin' I want to say $ood)bye to you- I can barely stand to loo' at you3; : hen dont. No one is forcin$ a 'nife down your throat.; :Im $oin$3; :9o3; :Im $one3; :No% youre not. I can still see you.; :Why are you watchin$ me lea+e% you dumbass-; :Im not% you slow brain. Im $oin$ the same damn way home.; I turned my head enou$h to loo' at him as he followed. :0ut I thou$ht you li+e here% in this $rand house with Na)Na. Arent you her uncle-; *e wal'ed past me. :I ha+e a place of my own. 5ant stand my parents.; :Wah- At your a$e and you ha+e a place of your own-; *e stole a $lance in my direction. :"ou sound e&cited.; :No% I dont. Why would I be-; :Well considerin$ that youre 'nown as the schools whore1; he drifted off% loo'in$ both ways before crossin$ the street. D...I(m not that type of person% !ee =i Won%D he finished. #ffended by his remar' I screamed out% :I *A E "#B3 "#B , B2ID 2IN92#N9)in$ 0A, A4D3; )))

:Bmma3 Appa3; I shouted out loud while 'ic'in$ off my ri$ht shoe. :Im home and Im f8c'in$ pissed off33; =in *yun$ suddenly appeared% stic'in$ out his ton$ue at me. :"oure in trouble3; he moc'ed. I shoo' off my other shoe causin$ it fly across the threshold to slam a$ainst his bi$ head. *e cried. And I lau$hed to ease my $rowin$ an$er. :"es3 ,core3; I yelled% clappin$ my hands to$ether. I hurried into the 'itchen to where my mom was preparin$ dinner. I slowly crept up behind her% causin$ her to she spin around% sendin$ splashes of soap and water onto my face. :Wahh3 Bmma3 My eyes3; I cried. I heard =in *yun$ lau$hin$ in the bac'$round. My mom wiped at my face and patted my chee's. :"ou 'now. "our father has been all worried about you. "ou didnt call us so he went out loo'in$ for you. *es not bac' yet.; :Daddy says hes $onna rip your throat out%; =in *yun$ inter6ected. :=in *yun$%; my mother warned. I stared at the swellin$ bruise on his forehead. D"ou ha+e two heads now% don(t you 'now% =in *yun$- Maybe now it(ll $row a brain.D *e stuc' his ton$ue at me. I meant to lash out at him but my mother $rabbed me by the arm. D=in *yun$. If you don(t lea+e this 'itchen% you(ll ha+e not lunch tomorrow%D my mother threatened him. hat was the worst she could say to him. =in *yun$ pouted in defeat and left the 'itchen. :Whats up- Why would he be so worried-; :Its not that. *e wanted to tal' to you.; :About what-; :*e needs you to help out with somethin$. *is boss as'ed a fa+or from him. *e needs someone to baby)sit his $randdau$hter.; I snorted. :0abysitter- Why would I want to baby)sit some 'id- I mean)))I cant e+en stand ha+in$ a youn$er brother.; hat forced me to thin' of 2in$2on$0oy and his unusual relationship with his niece. :Not e&actly baby)sit. =ust to 'eep her company. ,he needs an older sister.; :Its a her-; :"es.; :*ow old-; :Nine.; :2retty-; :5ute.;

:,nobby-; :No.; :,mart-; :Intelli$ent.; I shoo' my head% half bemused. :And she needs a babysitter-; My mother si$hed. :,hes a lonely $irl% =i Won.; :Whats her name-; :/hn +a!+a.; ))) PingPongBoy says : tell me youre 6o'in$ KoreanPrincess says : why would I be 6o'in$%.e s my boss) Ji Won. I can t refuse. .is son has been doing all he could to take care of +a!+a) but his father feels that he s holding such a big res$onsibility against him so he asked for my in$ut. I told him that I have this daughter who is su$erb at getting along with children.& %#ut /$$a- ,ou lied to him- /re you doing this to get a $romotion(-& %+o. 3f course not honey. ,ou know if you don't agree to this) no more allowance for you. ",ou can't do that to me." ",ou want to test me) Ji Won( ,ou know...5r. "ark is willing to give you a considerable wage for doing it. ,o yeah. It came as <uite a shoc' to me to find out that 2ar' =un$ ,an$s father was my fathers boss. And a bi$$er shoc' to reali>e that the one I had to befriend was Ahn Na)NaG the stran$e 'id with a bi$ brain and mouth. *owe+er% when it comes down to it% I did it for the money. PingPongBoy says : whate+er. I dont care. "ou probably did it for the money. #h well. At least now% I 'now Im free of her. KoreanPrincess says : "ah3 Do you disli'e your own niece- And do you really thin' I(m that shallowPingPongBoy says : No% I don(t and yes I do thin' you(re that shallow KoreanPrincess says : I don(t care what you thin' anyways. what- so now you ha+e free time on your hands-D PingPongBoy says : I ha+e more time to play 2in$ 2on$ KoreanPrincess says : Is that all you care about in life- 2in$ 2on$PingPongBoy says : "es *ow could he be such an idiot- *ow could anyone dedicate their entire life to 2in$ 2on$- I really couldnt understand him at this point. o be fran'% I was lost. KoreanPrincess says : Im lo$$in$ off PingPongBoy says : do what you li'e. ,ee if I care Korean Princess says : fine3 PingPongBoy says : wait3 #ne more thin$ before you $o. KoreanPrincess says : whatPingPongBoy says : dont loo' at me tomorrow. Its o+er between us. I dont 'now you. I wanted to reply to him% but he lo$$ed off before I could finish typin$ my first word.

I shut off my monitor and cursed aloud% :=er'3; Chp.06- B.!!er7#y Ken8i is 'ea' : ae Woo% what are you waitin$ for- his is drama class. "ou ha+e to 'iss her. Its written in the script%; stated my fat drama teacher whom the students li'e to call 7Fat Mama. ,he lets them call her that because she was told that 7Fat Mama meant 70eautiful teacher in En$lish. ,oo =in closed her eyes and stood on her tiptoes readyin$ for the 'iss by puc'erin$ her lips out towards ae Woo who stared down at her in re+ulsion. he $irls in the class were in the process of rippin$ their hair out because they thou$ht themsel+es unluc'y. I sat in my chair% ur$in$ him on. :"eah3 9o for it. 2ro+e to us $irls how $ood of a 'isser you are3; ?im ae Woos mouth twitched as if he wanted to curse me for sayin$ that. *e then concentrated on closin$ his eyes% ta'in$ a deep breath and leaned in towards ,oo =in. *e stopped suddenly when their lips were inches apart. :,h8t%; he cursed. ,oo =in eyes popped opened. :,h8t-; *e turned away% cuppin$ a hand o+er his nose. :Did you eat sh8t for brea'fast- "our breath ree's.; he entire class lau$hed at ,oo =in who co+ered her own mouth and turned away in embarrassment. ,he hun$ her head low% returned to her seat and said aloud% :I $i+e up.; he teacher stood up from her seat and roamed her eyes around the class. :Alri$ht. hen we need a replacement.; he $irls all lifted their hands hi$h in the air with ea$er anticipation. ,ome were e+en sittin$ up on their des' to try and $et the teachers attention. :Me3 2ic' me3; they all shouted at once. ,oo =in nud$ed me with her elbow. When I turned to meet her% she breathed in my face. :Does it really smell-; I <uic'ly co+ered my nose in reaction% mo+in$ my head bac'. *er breath smelled li'e sour mil'. :"ah3 What did you eat this mornin$. Did you e+en brush your teeth-; ,oo =in pouted. :I did. I $uess I should be $oin$ to see my dentist% huh-; :!ee =i Won. I pic' you since youre the only one who didnt +olunteer.; I went ri$id in my seat. What the hell was wron$ with the teacher- Why couldnt see that !ee =i Won was not interested in 'issin$ the coc'y)son)of)a)b8tch?im ae Woo was already smir'in$ at me when I loo'ed at him. :I dont want to%; I said% loo'in$ away uninterested. he $irls in the class turned to $lare at me. heir hands suddenly went up in the air a$ain. :Ill do it3 Ill do it3; My teacher <uestioned me. :Why dont you% =i Won- "ou 'now this apart of drama class.; I made a dis$usted face before answerin$% :I dont trust his mouth.; ae Woo loo'ed at me offensi+ely. :"ah3 ,ay that a$ain3; I sat up strai$ht. :"ou probably 'issed o+er a thousand $irls already. I dont want that +ery same mouth 'issin$ mine.;

"2tu$id snot!face Lee Ji Won. Look at her. 2he thinks she s better than everyone else.& %2he *ust insulted him.& he $uys in the class bro'e into lau$hter. :=i Won. "ou can 'iss me instead. My mouth is fresh and clean.; :"es% but it ne+er shuts up%; I retorted without botherin$ to see who had said that because I 'new where it came from. ae Woos friends were all annoyin$ d8c'heads. I hated them. #nly because they were the same $uys who persisted to as' me out or try to $rope my behind whene+er I wal' by them. :Enou$h. =i Won. Are you loo'in$ to meet with the principal or do you want me to beat you in front of the class%; my drama teacher said% wal'in$ o+er to where I sat. #h sh8t. he $iant is an$ry. I stood up and proclaimed% :I would rather be punished for it. If you want me to 'iss him so bad% why dont you do it yourself3; My teachers face paled in reaction. :!ee =i Won3; ae Woo shouted% $rowin$ an$ry. :What-3; I burst. :I wont 'iss you%; he stated. :"ou wont-; :Not when youre datin$ my best friend.; Damn. Damn% because the entire school still thou$ht us as a couple% includin$ ?im ae Woo. No one 'new what happened the day before. hey didnt 'now that we ended our fa'e one)day)relationship. ?im ae Woo strode o+er to the bac' of the room where 2in$2on$0oy had fallen asleep on his des' with his head buried in his folded arms. ae Woo 'ic'ed at his friends des'. :"ah3 2ar' =un$ ,an$% wa'e up% you bastard3; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ lifted his head and yawned shamelessly% rubbin$ at his eyes% and mumblin$% :I told you% ae Woo. Wa'e me up when the damn class is o+er.; :Im lea+in$ this sh8t class. "ou comin$-; If I didnt 'now any better% I would thin' ?im ae Woos e$o was bruised because pretty !ee =i Won refused to 'iss him. o be more specific% I not only insulted him but I embarrassed him. !et me 6ust say% double damn. I almost for$ot that 2in$2on$0oy was there too. *e was so $ood at 'eepin$ <uiet when he wanted to be. "es% he was that unnoticeable. =un$ ,an$ bobbed his head nonchalantly and then $ot up from his des'% followin$ ?im ae Woo and two other $uys out% i$norin$ the teachers protests. #ne moment they were out the door and in the ne&t% 2in$2on$0oy stuc' his head bac' inside and said% :I for$ot somethin$.; *e came bac' inside and strode directly to where I sat% pulled me by my shirt collar% half)dra$$in$ and half)carryin$ me out of class re$ardless of my 'ic's and screams. JJ

We were standin$ outside. =ust the two of us. ?im ae Woo disappeared somewhere% sayin$ that he would be bac' soon. :What are you doin$- I thou$ht it was o+er between us-; I as'ed% brea'in$ from his $rip. *e didnt loo' at me when he tuc'ed his hands into his poc'ets and muttered% :It was o+er. 0ut I thou$ht really hard about it last ni$ht1it would be bad if you and I)))it would be bad1; he paused% fumblin$ for the ri$ht words and finally said% :F8c' it. We cant brea' up yet.; :Idiot.; :What-3; :I called you an idiot. heres really nothin$ between us. Whats the point in pretendin$-; : here is%; he ar$ued. :!i'e what-; I prodded. *e said nothin$. A smile slowly spread across my face as I said% :I $et it. "oure startin$ to fall for me% huh-; *e snorted. :?eep dreamin$.; I sho+ed him playfully on the shoulder. :"ou really% really li'e me% huh-; I teased. *e eyed me up and down and said% :As of this moment% I really% really li'ed to twist that pretty head of yours off that stic') li'e fi$ure. Its much too bi$ for your body to handle. Not to mention% empty.; Wah3 he ner+e of him. ,tic')li'e fi$ure- 0i$ empty head- *ow many more insults was I $oin$ to ta'e from him:2sychotic b8tch3; I scoffed bac'% retreatin$ bac'ward in ner+ousness. I+e always been the 7curse)and)runaway type. I dont li'e confrontations. 0ut then a$ain% you cant blame me. Who 'nows what he was capable of- 2in$2on$0oy fri$htened me in more ways than I thou$ht. I forced myself not to picture the $hastly scene of him twistin$ my head off. :Why are your eyes shut- Afraid to loo' at me-; I opened them and saw that ?im ae Woo and the others were approachin$ us% alon$ with a few pretty $irls who clun$ to him li'e $lue. :!ets $o drin'in$% =un$ ,an$. At my place. 2arents are outta town.; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ turned to meet his friend. :Not today. I ha+e some stuff to do. And perhaps a few people to beat up.; We all loo'ed at him in curiosity. *e spo'e as if it was normal for him to beat up people. :,ome pun's here messin$ with you-; ae Woo as'ed. :"eah% they 'illed 0utterfly ?en6i.; 5onfused. ,o +ery confused. Was 0utterfly ?en6i a name of a personMy $osh% they were 'illin$ people now- #h no. I thin' 2in$2on$0oy mi$ht be in+ol+ed in a $an$. his was really turnin$ into somethin$ li'e them clichK stories.

:Did they-; ae Woo beat his fist a$ainst his palm. : hose f8c'ers are $onna die3; :Dont botherin$ in+ol+in$ yourself% ae Woo. Ill ta'e care of it myself.; :9et them $ood% =un$ ,an$. 9i+e them what they deser+e%; ae Woo said as he patted =un$ ,an$s shoulder. :Ill see you later. Im sorry about 0utterfly ?en6i; We watch them $o off. At this point I was cryin$ inside% hopin$ and prayin$ that 2in$2on$0oy wouldnt be dra$$in$ me into his problems. I slowly turned to loo' at him. *e loo'ed bac' at me. :Who1who is 0utterfly ?en6i- ,omeone close to you-; I in<uired. :I hate e&plainin$ thin$s to slow people.; : ell me. I wanna 'now.; :Its a thin$% not a person.; :A thin$ called 0utterfly ?en6i-; 4elief washed o+er me. :I thou$ht 0utterfly ?en6i was an actual person who $ot 'illed.; *e 6ust stared at me% $i+in$ me the 7$osh)youre)stupid- e&pression. :!ets $o.; :Where to-; : o wait for Na)Na so that she doesnt ha+e to wait for us.; I held him bac' by the arm. :Wait a moment. Isnt it my duty to $o and pic' her up-; :"es.; : hen why are you $oin$-; :0ecause its my duty as her uncle to see that her baby)sitter is treatin$ her ri$ht.; :"ou thin' Im $oin$ to mistreat her-; :Aish. Why do you thin' Im $oin$ alon$% you bird)brain.; )) : hey 'illed 0utterfly ?en6i- *ow sad%; Na)Na said% poutin$ her lips. Why was e+eryone so upset when it came to this !hing called 0utterfly ?en6i- I still didnt 'now what it was. o be honest% I dont thin' I really cared. Maybe 6ust a tad)bit curious. :Ill ma'e sure they pay for it.; Na)Na beamed. :Its always $ood to see you 'ic'in$ some butts% =un$ ,an$.; ,he focused her attention bac' to me. :!ee =i Won. "oure here too. Are you here as =un$ ,an$s $irlfriend or as my new babysitter-; :"our babysitter.; ,he loo'ed from me to =un$ ,an$. :,o you two really bro'e up-; :No. No% we ha+ent. We were 6ust teasin$1; =un$ ,an$ said% elbowin$ me. :4i$ht% =i Won-;

:Whate+er%; I replied% thin'in$ as to why =un$ ,an$ seem to be actin$ differently in front of Na)Na. Na)Na came o+er to ta'e my hand. :I cried last ni$ht.; I loo'ed down at her. :Why-; :0ecause I miss my parents. 0ecause they didnt $et to celebrate my birthday with me. I feel +ery lonely at times.; I patted her head. =un$ ,an$ suddenly swiped my hand aside. :Dont do that to her. ,hes not a damn do$.; :I was stro'in$ her hair%; I defended myself. :,hes my niece% not some do$ where you can 6ust pat on the head or stro'e e+ery time you feel sorry for it.; :I was 6ust)))D *e reached out and rubbed hard at my head% messin$ up my hair. :*ow would you feel if I patted your head)))li'e that"ou li'e that-: hat damn a$$ressi+e bastard. I wonder if he e+er had a do$. If he did% then I pity it. 2ushin$ his hand away% I $rabbed at Na)Na so that she would act as a le+era$e between us. :2ar' =un$ ,an$. ,hut your mouth%; Na)Na snapped. :What-; :0e <uiet for once.; I was surprised at how well he beha+ed whene+er Na)Na was around. I stuc' my ton$ue at him. *is eyes widened in reaction. I bet he was 6ust twitchin$ to hurt me. :5ome% Na)Na. !ets ta'e you home%; I said% leadin$ her away from her uncle. :I dont want to $o home 6ust yet. 5an we $o to the par'-; :"es% we can. I lo+e playin$ at the par'%; I told her. ,he smiled. :5ool. !ets $o.; As she was leadin$ me away% I craned my nec' to see that 2in$2on$0oy was followin$ reluctantly behind% slidin$ a fin$er across his nec'% con+eyin$ a silent death messa$e for me. :Na)Na. !et me as' you one <uestion.; :What is it-; :0utterfly ?en6i. What is it-; Na)Na stopped wal'in$. :0utterfly ?en6i is =un$ ,an$s fa+orite pin$)pon$ rac'et. *is $randfather $a+e it to him before he passed away. It was really important to him.; ,he lowered her eyes. :I feel bad for him. *e must be sufferin$ ri$ht now.; I turned my head bac' to see that =un$ ,an$ had his head lowered li'e he was in contemplation. And then he lifted his head as if he 'new I was loo'in$ at him. :Na)Na. Ill see you at home. I $otta 6et.; :Where are you $oin$-;

*e smiled mischie+ously in return. : o 'ic' some ass.; :5an we come to-; I fro>e. My $oodness. he two were becomin$ more and more stran$e. =ud$in$ by their interaction% they made me feel li'e I was some 'ind of alien. I couldnt e+en be$in to comprehend what was $oin$ on. *e scratched the bac' of his head in uncertainty. :Nah% itll be too +iolent for you.; :I watch slasher flic's all the time. his will be no different.; ,lasher flic's- he 'id was psychotic. =ust li'e her uncle. *e chuc'led in amusement. here was somethin$ about the amusement in his face that made appear more innocent. I didnt 'now he was capable of lau$hin$. hat $ot me wonderin$ if he was only li'e this when he was around his niece. :Alri$ht. "ou can come.; I held her bac' by her shoulder. :As her babysitter% I wont allow it.; :=i Won% please. We can stand from afar and watch. We dont ha+e to $o near. 2lease% please% please-; I didnt 'now what to say to her. :Na)Na1; 0efore I could say anythin$ more% =un$ ,an$ had already ta'en his nieces arm% leadin$ her away. he bastard was snea'y. :=un$ ,an$. I want a pi$$y)bac' ride there%; she said. =un$ ,an$ s<uatted down% helped his niece onto his bac' and stood bac' up% half)turnin$ toward me. :"ou comin$ or what-; I nodded. :I+e $ot no choice.; Chp.09- 4:B:L ;i!h a CA<S: an' a BAN=(AI= 0ac')up would be nice. en a$ainst one wasnt e&actly a fair fi$ht. Foolish 2in$2on$0oy was really in for it this time. We stood under a tree for the past fi+e minutes simply starin$ at 2ar' =un$ ,an$ who stood there e&chan$in$ insults with the ten others in front of an old abandoned school. I reco$ni>e a few faces of the $uys that went to the same school as we did. hey were 'nown as the troublema'ers. Na)Na tu$$ed at my arm. :=ust watch him% =i Won. *ell $et them all down in no time%; she bra$$ed e&citedly. :Are you sure its not the other way around-; I mumbled under my breath% hopin$ that it wouldnt $et out of hand. I saw him ta'e on the $uys at the subwayG I dont thin' I doubted him a$ain. *owe+er% if you loo' at it more clearly% ten a$ainst one is a bi$ difference. :Bh oh1; Na)Na said. :*uh-;

: en more $uys 6ust showed up.; Na)Na was ri$ht. Another floc' of $uys appeared% carryin$ weapons of sorts ran$in$ from baseball bats to hoc'ey stic's and 2in$)2on$ rac'ets- #'ay. ,o now% 2in$2on$0oy was definitely out of luc'. :2ar' =un$ ,an$. We 'now who you are. oday is the day you die3; one of the $uys shouted. :Bhm. his is startin$ to suc'. ,houldnt we 6ust $o and snatch him away-; I as'ed Na)Na. :We could% but then =un$ ,an$ hates it when hes interrupted. I thin' we should 6ust stand on the side)lines until he $i+es us a si$nal of some sort.; I eyed Na)Na stran$ely% wonderin$ why she appeared so confident in her uncle. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was yellin$ by now. :W*I5* #NE #F "#B 9B", ?I!!ED 0B :,tupid. #nly a retard li'e yourself would name their pin$)pon$ rac'et3; he crowd bro'e into a $uffaw of lau$hter. I found myself 6oinin$ in with them. :And only i$norant f8c'ers li'e yourself dont 'now that 0utterfly ?en6i is a $i+en name of a rac'et that the offensi+e player uses to $i+e out powerful shots and hea+y spins. Do some research on the internet you dumb f8c's.; hey all stopped lau$hin$% includin$ myself. #'ay now% he made us all feel li'e idiots. It was Na)Nas turn to lau$h. *e folded his arms calmly in front of him. :,o I as' a$ain% which one of you 'illed 0utterfly ?en6i-; :We both did%; came the answer from the crowd. he two $uys that I reco$ni>ed from the school stepped up to re+eal themsel+es. 2in$2on$0oy eyed them in dis$ust and then said% :Are you that afraid of me that you had to force these dic'less f8c'ers to come and 6oin you-; :Its what we do best%; the taller of the two replied. : hat afraid-; =un$ ,an$ moc'ed. :If youre that afraid% you mi$ht as well $o han$ yourself. ,endin$ these idiots to be your bac' up was the wron$ choice. As' them how many times I 'ic'ed their sorry asses. As' them why I call them dic'less f8c'ers.; hey all loo'ed at one in another without sayin$ a word. he taller of the two responded. :"ah3 *ow do we 'now youre not lyin$-3; :#n the count of three% Ill ha+e these $uys runnin$.; =un$ ,an$ didnt e+en ha+e a chance to count to two and the $uys were already ta'in$ off in a run% droppin$ their ridiculous weapons alon$ the way. he two idiots that admitted to destroyin$ his rac'et were left standin$ dumbfounded and ashamed. : old you so.; ))) E4F!" ?EN=I-3;

0y the time 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was done with them% the two were left twitchin$ on the $round li'e win$less u$ly birds. *e came o+er to us and helped his niece onto his bac'. : ime to $o home% Na)Na.; Na)Na $i$$led happily. : hat was nice% =un$ ,an$. "ou really showed them.; I was speechless% appalled and +ery afraid. I couldnt belie+e I had watched somethin$ li'e that ta'e place. After seein$ it% I+e come to conclude that 2in$2in$0oy was indeed a scary person with a psychotic personality. I 'new it wasnt $ood to piss him off. And yet somehow I couldn(t help myself from pissin$ him off. I ha+e to admit. It was 'ind of fun ar$uin$ with him. :"ah3 Whats wron$ with your face-; *is +oice drew me bac' to reality. :*uh- Whats wron$ with my face-; What could possibly be wron$ with my faceNa)Na $i$$led a$ain. :I thin' she didnt en6oy it +ery much.; =un$ ,an$ didnt loo' at me when he said% :,hes not li'e us% Na)Na. ,he 'nows nothin$ about +iolence. he only thin$ shes $ood at is pro+o'in$ it.; I loo'ed up to him% feelin$ defensi+e. hose eyes were moc'in$ me% testin$ to see 6ust how much I was willin$ to ta'e from him. hats when I noticed the small cut on his left chee'bone and the tric'le of blood trailin$ from it. :"oure not that in+incible. *ahhaa youre bleedin$3; I pointed out. Na)Na loo'ed more disappointed than hurt when she said% :"ou $ot hurt% =un$ ,an$-; =un$ ,an$ touched his chee' and forced himself not to wince. :,o what-; :,o. "ou thin' youre so tou$h% thats why%; I ar$ued. :Im not made of steel.; :No% youre not.; :I bleed li'e e+eryone else.; :Not li'e e+eryone% but more li'e1li'e any other animal or beast there is.; :"ah3 Are you callin$ me an animal-; Na)Na switched her $a>e bac' and forth in e&asperation. :"ou act li'e one% why shouldnt I call you an animal-; :I wouldnt be spea'in$. "oure the one that acts li'e a 0arbie doll.; My eyes widened in response. I wasnt sure if I heard him correctly :What do you mean by acts li'e a 0arbie doll-; :"ou loo' li'e one and you act li'e one and youre brainless li'e one. "ou thin' youre better than anyone else. 0ut the only difference is% youre mouthy and annoyin$.; I tu$$ed at my ear% pretendin$ I couldnt hear him. :Im sorry. Was that in animal lan$ua$e- I dont thin' I understood you.; :*ow can a 0arbie possibly understand- A 0arbie has no brain to understand.; :0AND)AID33; Na)Na shouted in frustration% slidin$ off her uncles bac'. :9E A DAMN 0AND)AID3;

he hell has $otten into Na)Na=un$ ,an$ <uic'ly loo'ed to his niece and lowered himself to her le+el. Ner+ousness was written all o+er his face. :Na)Na% whats wron$- Are you bleedin$-; If I didnt 'now any better% I would thin' that 2in$2on$0oy was panic'in$. I followed suit. :Na)Na whats wron$-; ,he burst into tears. :9E A 0AND)AID33; she yelled out loud with tears flowin$ from her eyes. I 6umped at the tone she was usin$. :0and)aid-; Nud$in$ at =un$ ,an$% I leaned in to say% :9et her band)aid. Why do you thin' she needs a band)aid-; :I dont ha+e one.; *e <uic'ly pulled me aside% rubbin$ at his face. :,hes $ettin$ an$ry. It $ets bad when she $ets upset and an$ry. And I dont 'now why she needs a band)aid.; My $osh. I+e 6ust reali>ed I mi$ht be ma'in$ the bi$$est mista'e in my life by a$reein$ to baby)sit her. Na)Na was e<ually unpredictable as her uncle. ,he mi$ht ha+e been puttin$ up a front all alon$. he once calmed and reser+ed Na)Na has transformed into mini)hul'% e&cept that she wasnt $reen and that she was so much cuter. :*ow bad-; I in<uired. We both turned to loo' at Na)Na who was wailin$ out of control% beatin$ her fists a$ainst the $round% rippin$ the $rass from the $round% $rowlin$ li'e an an$ry beast. DIs she possessed-D =un$ ,an$ only $lared at me. 0eads of sweat had formed on my forehead% be$innin$ to tric'le down my face. :0and)aid it is3; I reached into my ba$ and fished out a band)aid. =un$ ,an$ snatched it from my hand% and offered it to his hysterical niece. :Na)Na. *ere it is.; ,he flic'ered her $a>e from the band)aid onto me. :2ut it on him. *es still bleedin$3; she commanded tartly. Ai$oo3 he psychotic little brat was commandin$ her own baby)sitter- ,he was frea'in$ out because her uncle happens to be sheddin$ a tiny tric'le of blood- :0ut)))but)))D =un$ ,an$ slapped the band)aid into my hand. :2ut it on.; earin$ the band)aid out% I tried to place it on him. *e tilted his head bac'. I leaned in closer to him. *e 'ept tiltin$ his head bac' as if he was afraid I would hurt him. hen finally I slapped it on him% missin$ my mar' entirely% only to ha+e it stic' to his hair. :,tay still% you stubborn fool3; I hissed as I pluc'ed it out of his hair% causin$ him to curse and whimper in pain. I made another attempt to place it on his face% but he wa+ed me away. : he f8c' is wron$ with you- heres hair on that thin$.; :Why would an unappealin$ $uy care how he loo's li'e-; I said% mana$in$ to stic' it onto his face. *e winced at my touch. :"ah3 Why are you so rou$h-; :Im sorry that my 0arbie hands arent $entle enou$h for you%; I muttered% addin$ pressure to the cut.

*e <uic'ly pulled away cuppin$ a hand o+er his chee'bone. I saw a pout comin$ on before he turned his head fully away to face his niece. : here. Its on.; ,he wiped her eyes and her si$nature smile returned immediately. :!ets $o home.; After watchin$ it all unfold% I+e also concluded that Ahn Na)Na was another scary person with a psychotic personality. ))) If thin$s couldnt $et any worst% my cell phone ran$ the moment we arri+ed at Na)Nas house. I turned away from the both of them when I answered% :*ello-; :Noona% you $otta help me. ,omethin$ bad is happenin$ to me.; I reco$ni>ed the whinin$ +oice belon$in$ to my youn$er brother =in *yun$. :And what do you e&pect me to do about it-; :A bunch of older $uys are ta'in$ me away with them because they want money.; :Why would they rob you-; :I told them that I 'now 2ar' =un$ ,an$G the famous pin$)pon$ player who happens to be the son of one of the richest man in ,outh ?orea who happens to be datin$ my noona who happens to be babysittin$ his niece.; :#h $osh% =in *yun$. *ow can you be so stupid-; : hey also said that youre +ery pretty and that they want to $o out with you.; :4eally- Are they cute-; :I mi$ht be dyin$ and youre as'in$ me if theyre cute- "oure so dumb% noona.; :B$h. ell them that you lied. 0ye3; 5lic'3 I hun$ up on him as I turned bac' to the uncle and niece who were starin$ at me in curiosity. Another rin$. hey both loo'ed at me. I let it rin$. :Arent you $onna answer that-; =un$ ,an$ as'ed. :I dont want to.; :0ut you should%; inter6ected Na)Na. I had no choice but to answer it. :"ah3 =in *yun$ you little bastard if you)))D My mothers +oice flowed o+er the line% cuttin$ me off. :Where is your brother% =i Won- *es not home yet. Im worried about him.; :*es1uh1at his friends house%; I lied indi$nantly. :Why didnt he call to let me 'now-; :0ecause he called me 6ust a second a$o to call you. *e was afraid youd be an$ry with him so he told me to spea' on his behalf.; :9i+e me his friends number% I need to spea' to him myself.;

:Bmma% <uit worryin$. *es alri$ht.; .e might be dying) but he s alright% I had to remind myself. :*es not a baby anymore.; With that% I hun$ up on her% be$innin$ to worry about the little brat. I turned bac' to =un$ ,an$ and his niece. hey both opened their mouths to spea' at the same time. :=in *yun$s in trouble-; :I thin' so.; :Need some help-; =un$ ,an$ <uestioned. If only he 'new that this mess that =in *yun$ had $otten himself into had e+erythin$ to do with him. And he wouldnt li'e it one bit if he found out. he phone ran$ a$ain. I answered it. :Nooonaaa33 *elp me. hey say theyre $oin$ to cut i! all off3; =in *yun$ whined o+er the phone. :5ut what all off-; =un$ ,an$ pluc'ed the phone from my $rasp and answered it. :2ut the bastards on.; I watched him closely as he said% :Well be there.; Na)Na hurried o+er to him. :5an I $o too- 2lease% please% please-; *e loo'ed down at her. :"oure stayin$ here. And your babysitter is stayin$ here too. Ill be bac'.; Na)Na pouted. :Awww.; :I ha+e to $o too. Im his sister%; I protested. :"oull stay here or else youll lose your 6ob%; he threatened me. With that% I watched him saunter off as if he had the whole world within his $rasp. Chp.0> - 0he O?er#y(:@ci!e' Lee Ji Won he house was hu$e. Na)Na was $i+in$ me a tour of the place. I felt li'e some 'ind of tourist% browsin$ from rooms after rooms of e&pensi+e furniture% priceless paintin$s and e&<uisite sculptures. I learned more about this 2ar' =un$ ,an$ character when we came across his trophy room. My face when I entered. )))L

:*e doesnt li'e anyone comin$ in here% but since youre his $irlfriend% I dont thin' he minds%; Na)Na said% sur+eyin$ the room with her eyes. I m not his girlfriend. /nd if he knew that I was in this room) he d have my head for it) I wanted to say. 2in$2on$0oy e&ceeded in all sports. *e played 6ust about e+ery sport there was. A picture han$in$ on the far wall cau$ht my eye. I went to ta'e a closer loo' at it. :Whos the $irl-; I in<uired% ta'in$ notice of the lon$ hair fra$ile loo'in$ youn$ $irl who displayed a proud loo'in$ smile upon her face as she held onto a lar$e trophy about half her si>e. Na)Na $i$$led% co+erin$ her mouth. : hats =un$ ,an$ two years a$o when he mastered a blac' belt in ae ?won Do.; I stiffened% blin'in$ twice with my heart <uic'enin$ in a faster pace. I didn(t 'now whether to lau$h or cry. My face at that point. )))L :*e was a she-;

:No. *e 6ust had really lon$ hair. *e li'ed his lon$ hair. Most of the time% he left it down to co+er his face. *e hates

showin$ his face.; I e&haled in relief. Wouldnt it be bad if 2in$2on$0oy turned out to be a $irl- ee *ee that would be bad. Ima$ine !ee =i Won fallin$ in lo+e with a heMshe ))) Damn. What the hell am I thin'in$:Why does he hate his face so much-; I as'ed% thin'in$ that this face of his wasnt so bad. :,omeone once told him he was u$ly. It was someone he li'ed. A $irl. A stupid mean $irl.; . 9ulp / *a+e I e+er called him u$ly. hin's bac' / %,ah- Just because you re ugly doesn t mean you can call other guys gay for being $rettier than you are-& . Damn / *ow sad. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ probably $otten his heart bro'en by some $irl who told him he was u$ly. I was startin$ to understand why he hated $irls so much. :And from then on% he turned himself into the u$ly duc'lin$-; Na)Na loo'ed at me in<uirin$ly. :Do you really thin' hes u$ly- I mean% youre his $irlfriend. Why are you really with him then-; :Im1Im1; I paused to thin' about it. :Im1erm1Im1; :"oure not really his $irlfriend. "oure his fa'e $irlfriend. *e probably forced you into this. =ust li'e in them stories. Why does the $uy always ha+e to do the forcin$-; Na)Na said% actin$ as if she was in deep contemplation. :Its o'ay. I understand the position youre in% =i Won. Its not your fault.; ears started to form in Na)Nas eyes. he $uilt was eatin$ me up. Why did the little $irl ha+e such an effect on me- :!oo'. E+en if were not to$ether% maybe it mi$ht wor' out between us. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ doesnt seem that bad1; I thou$ht bac' to the way he beat the $uys up and reali>ed that he was that bad. What are you $ettin$ yourself into% !ee =i WonI reached down and stro'ed her hair bac' from her face% wipin$ at her tear)stained chee's. :!isten Na)Na. ,o lon$ as Im babysittin$ you% I wont lea+e your side or your uncles side.; ,he smiled% throwin$ her arms around my nec'. :=i Won% youre the coolest. 2lease stay with him. And whate+er you do% dont e+er call him u$ly.; oo late. ))) When we came across the indoor pool% I felt the e&citement coursin$ throu$h me. My mouth hun$ opened at the si$ht of the EN & NO feet rectan$le pool that was 6ust be$$in$ for me to 6ump into. : his is the pool that =un$ ,an$ used to practice his swimmin$ lessons in until he started to hate it%; Na)Na said% starin$ off into the pool. :Why would he hate it-; I as'ed% mo+in$ closer to it% itchin$ to 6ump in. :,ays its too small.;

:Doesnt loo' small to me%; I said% unable to ta'e my eyes off of it. :"ou want to swim-; Na)Na as'ed% ta'in$ hold of my arm. :Nah% I shouldnt. I mean)))loo' at me. ,till in school uniform%; I forced myself to say. :Dont worry about that. I 6ump in all the time% whether Im dressed in my uniform or my sleepin$ clothes or re$ular clothes. Whene+er I feel li'e it% I 6ust 6ump in.; My $osh. ,he made it sound easier than it was. :4eally- And they let you-; :Its my pool now. hey cant say anythin$. ,o% you wanna do it- Bnless youre afraid to $et your uniform wet. We could find you somethin$ to wear.; I wanted to 6ump up in e&citement. My left le$ twitched in reaction..It happens whene+er I $et too e&cited/ Na)Na waited for an answer. :Its not that1its 6ust1; I was really $oin$ to en6oy this babysittin$ 6ob. :Fine% lets do it3; With that% I tossed my ba$ down% threw off my bla>er% pinched my nose% runnin$ towards the ed$e of the pool and 6umpin$ into the cold water% sendin$ a hu$e splash of water o+er the ed$e. Na)Na followed ri$ht after me. I screamed with $iddy e&citement. :Na)Na% loo' at me. I can swim bac'wards3; Wham3 he bac' of my head met with the ed$e of the pool. :=i Won% you o'ay-; Na)Na as'ed% tryin$ to hold in her lau$hter. I rubbed the bac' of my head while cursin$ under my breath. Na)Na was doin$ bac'stro'es li'e an e&pert% ma'in$ me feel li'e an amateur. :!oo' at me% =i Won. =un$ ,an$ tau$ht me to do this3; :9ood. @ery $ood%; I said% swimmin$ towards her. : ell me somethin$ else% Na)Na. *ow come 2in$2on$0oy)))oops% I meant =un$ ,an$ ta'es so many sports and martial arts- And why does he li'es 2in$)2on$ the most-; Na)Na stopped swimmin$ and answered% :*e cant stay still. *e has a problem 'eepin$ in one place% thats why hes always doin$ all those sports. Its to 'eep him busy. 2in$)2on$ re<uires $ood refle&es and stren$th. =un$ ,an$ always tells me that its the only sport that he doesnt ha+e to $et +iolent on. *e $ets really upset easily and he always loses his temper on those other sports% but with 2in$)2on$% hes different. "ou $et to see the more calmer side to him.; ,o thats the reason why he li'ed 2in$)2on$- 0ecause it rela&es him- *ow come it seems li'e that was all he was committed to- :*e really has a problem then- *e cant 'eep still-; :"ups%; Na)Na answered as she be$an to do more bac'stro'es. *ow scary. I bet he has 0order 2ersonality Disorder.02D/. : hats why he decided to $o help your brother.; :What-; Na)Na turned to face me. : hats why he went to help =in *yun$.; I should ha+e 'nown that he didnt do it out of pity. *e did it because he couldn(t 'eep still. I bobbed my head in understandin$.

: hats also the reason why he hates school so much.; I was learnin$ more and more about 2in$2on$0oy because his niece couldnt stop tal'in$ about him. :4eally- I thou$ht he was 6ust too dumb for school.; Na)Na blin'ed. :What-; I pretended to lau$h. :*a ha ha. I was 6o'in$.; Na)Na smiled. :Im $onna $o to the deep end.; he cheerful tune of my rin$er went off. I made a face% hopin$ it wasnt my mother callin$ me a$ain. I swam to the ed$e and pulled myself up% wal'in$ o+er to pic' up my phone. :*ello-; :"our brother too' off. *e mana$ed to escape%; came the flat +oice belon$in$ to =un$ ,an$. I didnt 'now whether I should be happy. It would ha+e been better if =un$ ,an$ told me that they 'illed him already. Alri$ht% I admit% I was a little worried% but that was it. =in *yun$ always $ets himself into trouble. I hope he learned a lesson from it. :*ows Na)Na-; Na)Na was screamin$ in the bac'$round. :!oo' at me% =i Won. Im floatin$ in the deep)end33; *e burst o+er the phone. :I, ,*E ,WIMMIN9-33; I had to pull the phone from my ear% shoutin$ bac' at him. :"ah3 !ower your +oice. My ears hurt and "E, WE4E ,WIMMIN933; :9E *E4 #B #F *E4E N#W3 ,*E I,N A!!#WED IN *E 2##!. ,*E, 9#NNA 9E ,I5?. "#B4E DEAD W*EN I 9E *E4E3; I stiffened and forced a lau$h. :*ehehe% I was 6ust 'iddin$. Were not swimmin$. Were playin$1uh1were 6ust playin$ to$ether.; :=I W#N3 I DID I . I *E!D M" 04EA * F#4 PI ,E5, BNDE4 WA E433; Na)Na screamed out. 9reat. :W*A *E F85? I, *A % *B*-3;

:Were in the bathroom alri$ht3; I yelled out loud so that Na)Na could hear me. Na)Na <uic'ly $ot out of the pool% hurryin$ towards me with a fearful loo' on her face. :IM A!M#, *E4E. IF I FIND #B "#B4E A *E 2##!% "#B4E DEAD% 9# *A -33;

I crin$ed% pullin$ Na)Na alon$ with me% rushin$ past the forei$n housemaid who was carryin$ a tray of refreshments our way. :IM A *E D##433; he yelled o+er the phone.

I hun$ up on him% tryin$ to hurry Na)Na alon$% all the while panic'in$. :0athroom. Wheres the bathroom-3; I as'ed% frantically searchin$ for a bathroom. :#+er there3; Na)Na pointed out% pullin$ away from my $rasp. I stopped to loo' at her. :Na)Na% you ha+e to come.;

:Why would I- Arent you $oin$ to ta'e a dump-; 9ee>. What was wron$ with the 'id- I shoo' my head. :No% no% no. Its not li'e that. We ha+e to $et in there before your uncle $ets bac'. *e 'nows we were at the pool3; I was dra$$in$ her alon$ with me. :We cant use the one downstairs. It doesnt ha+e a shower or a bathtub.; I stopped. : hen the one upstairs-; ,he bobbed her head in response. I too' her arm and we both fled upstairs% hearin$ =un$ ,an$s +oice callin$ out from somewhere in the house. :!EE =I W#N. IF I FIND #B "#B4E A *E 2##!% "#B4E DEAD% "*EA4 ME- I ?N#W "#B 5AN *EA4 ME33; 2tu$id bastard. I've gone deaf because of you-Na)Na was pullin$ into one of the rooms% I slipped alon$ the way because of my wet soc's and Na)Na had to help me up. #nce I was up a$ain% we both s'idded into the bathroom. I <uic'ly shut the door behind me and leaned bac' a$ainst it% $aspin$ for air. Na)Na wasnt beside me% instead% she was lyin$ flat on her face. :#h my $osh. Na)Na3 Im so sorry3; I said% rushin$ o+er to her. ,he rolled o+er and $roaned. :I thin' I bumped my head real hard. Im di>>y.; ,he was ri$ht. here was a hu$e swellin$ on her forehead. I blew at it% thin'in$ I could ma$ically ma'e it $o away. I reali>ed I had two problems to worry about now. 2roblem QE: 2in$2on$0oy was $onna 'ill me for lettin$ Na)Na in the pool. 2roblem QN: Na)Na(s head was swellin$ up. :Im so sorry%D I apolo$i>ed. :!ee =i Won3; I loo'ed up at the door% hearin$ his footsteps drawin$ closer. I helped Na)Na to sit up and hurried to turn on the water in the bathtub. :5ome% Na)Na. "ou $otta $et in. We $otta ma'e it loo' li'e youre learnin$ to bathe properly.; :0ut I can bathe properly%; she ar$ued. :,till16ust come. I(m upset that you lied to me% Na)Na%; I said% $rowin$ frustrated. Na)Na slowly climbed into the bathtub and I followed after her. We sat facin$ each other and I yelped when I reali>ed how hot the water was. I <uic'ly reached out to turn on the cold water. =ust then the door swun$ inward with an impact. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ stood there appearin$ li'e some psychotic maniac% eyein$ us with an an$ry e&pression. :"A*3 W*A *E F85? A4E "#B D#IN9 *E4E- 5AN "#B ,EE *A IM EA5*IN9 "#B4 NIE5E *#W # 0A *E 24#2E4!"33; *e loo'ed at me% entirely uncon+inced. :A4E "#B A F85?EN IDI# -3 W*A MA?E, "#B *IN? "#B 5#B!D F##! ME-; I stood up fully to face him% steppin$ out of the bathtub% feelin$ the $oose bumps startin$ to form on my body. I shi+ered. :I

went for a swim. Na)Na had nothin$ to do with it.; *e tried to loo' past me to Na)Na. I mo+ed to bloc' his +iew of her% afraid that he mi$ht see the swellin$ on her head. DMo+e%D he commanded. DNo.D *e sho+ed me anyway. :Na)Na% is that true-; he moment he saw the bruise% he turned bac' to me. DWhat did you do to her-3D I 6umped at his tone. DWe were racin$ to the bathroom and then Na)Na wasn(t loo'in$ so she 'ind of...ran into the door%D I muttered. DIs that true% Na)Na-D Na)Na nodded. *e flic'ered his $a>e bac' to me. :=ust wait until tomorrow. If Na)Na $ets sic'% then I 'now.; I folded my arms across my chest and let out a% :2ssh1; hen I was propelled out of the room% =un$ ,an$ reached out to shut the door behind him. *e sho+ed me bac'ward. :"oure fired.; :What-; :"oure puttin$ my niece at ris'. hat ma'es you a bad babysitter% so youre fired. 9et out.; I sho+ed him bac'. :"ah3 If I 'new she wasnt allowed% I wouldnt ha+e allowed her in3; *e sho+ed me a$ain. :"ou 'now nothin$. 0rainless 0arbie has no brain to thin'. What the hell was my father thin'in$ of hirin$ you-; I pushed him bac' with both arms. :Are you callin$ me dumb-3; We both fell to the floor with me landin$ on top of him. We stared into each others face. he way his hair fell into his eyes. hose eyes were somethin$ else. hey weren(t 6ust cold. hey were allurin$. And I thin' it was that moment that I 'new 2ar' =un$ ,an$ loo'ed at me in whole a new way. :!ee =i Won1; he spo'e softly. :*mm-; #r so I thou$ht1 :9et. he. F8c'. #ff. Me%; he said% sho+in$ me off rou$hly. :2ar' =un$ ,an$- What are you doin$ rollin$ around with this youn$ woman- Who is she- "our new $irlfriend-; came the deep male +oice from the door. We both loo'ed up to find a middle)a$ed man% dressed in a business suit% leanin$ a$ainst the doorframe. :Father%; =un$ ,an$ mumbled. Chp.10- 0he Phone

:,o youre our the babysitter and youre also my sons new $irlfriend- hats $ood news%; Mr. 2ar' said% displayin$ a wide smile% beha+in$ as if his son has ne+er had a $irlfriend before. I sat across from him% still wet from head to toe with a towel wrapped around my shoulders. :")yes%; I said in return% findin$ impossible to spea' due to the clatterin$ of my teeth. *e tilted his head to the side a little. :Are you cold- Do you want to chan$e out of your clothes-; I might be suffering from hy$othermia) but I ll managed. I smiled bac' at him. :Its o'ay.; :"oure +ery pretty. "our father was ri$ht about you.; Bnder this circumstance% !ee =i Won still loo'ed pretty- I blushed amiably. : han' you.; :Well% lets mo+e on to more important matters. Ahn Na)Na. What do you thin' of her-; :,hes a sweet 'id.; :Are you sure about that-; :What ma'es you doubt me-; :*er nanny tells me the opposite.; he child was a little on the stran$e side% but she was still tolerable. :Bh% where is she now-; :Na)Na-; :No% her nanny.; :,hes ta'in$ a brea'. ,he left to her hometown. hats why youre here.; I loo'ed around the room before I as'ed% :Na)Nas parents. Where are they-; Mr. 2ar's smile faded. :,he lost them two years a$o.; It was no wonder why she had loo'ed so sad on the day of her birthday. ,he had cried because she missed her parents. Another reason why 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was so protecti+e of his niece. :#h% Im sorry to hear that.; I was be$innin$ to li'e Mr. 2ar'. *ow can a father and son beha+e so differently from his son- Whereas 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was loud and obno&ious% his father was calm and soft)spo'en. Which made me wonder% how was his mother li'e:Im really sorry that you ha+e to see me in this sort of state%; I told him% sli$htly embarrassed. Mr. 2ar' wa+ed it off with a sha'e of his hand. :No% no. Dont worry about it. eena$ers these days are bound to be fooling around li'e that.; Ai$oo3 :We werent foolin$ around. We were sort of ar$uin$ and then1; :Its alri$ht. "ou dont ha+e to e&plain yourself. I understand.; My $osh. his was bad. here was no way that I would want to fool around with 2in$2on$0oy. Mr. 2ar' was seein$ this all wron$. :0ut))): %/beo*ii-; =un$ ,an$ called% stormin$ into the room li'e a ra$in$ bull still wearin$ his school uniform% e&cept without the bla>er. And I must say% he loo'ed all ri$ht. Maybe a little better than alri$ht considerin$ that he had loosened his tie. Mr. 2ar' turned toward his son. :"es-; =un$ ,an$ stole a $lance in my direction before spea'in$ to his father. :"ou cant hire her. ,he suc's.;

Why that arro$ant son)of)a)b8tch3 *e was willin$ to do anythin$ to see that I wouldnt $et the hired. If only he 'new that !ee =i Won doesn(t $i+e up so easily. Mr. 2ar's brow rose in <uestion. :"ou dont thin' shes suitable- Why- Is it because shes your $irlfriend-; =un$ ,an$ opened his mouth to ar$ue% but I was <uic'er. :Its o'ay% o$$a%; I spo'e in my sweetest tone% :well still ha+e time to $o to the mo+ies and spend time to$ether. =ust now% well ha+e your niece ta$$in alon$ with us.; R!ee =i Won was batterin$ her eyelashes at this point.L *e pointed at me while directin$ his $a>e at his father. :,hell turn Na)Na into a demon child.; :"ou mean an an$el child%; I corrected him. :,he let Na)Na into the pool today%; =un$ ,an$ continued. I stood up from my seat. :0ecause I wasnt informed. ,ome idiot ne$lected to mention it to me.; :Na)Nas head is swellin$ because of her3; :Its because of the wall3; I ar$ued. Mr. 2ar' raised his hands in the air. :Enou$h. he both of you. My head is startin$ to hurt.; We both loo'ed at each other. I raised my chin hi$her to challen$e him. *e sneered e+illy at me in return. :If I didnt 'now any better% I would thin' the both of you are enemies.; :We are3; we blurted at the same time. When Mr. 2ar' frowned% I <uic'ly blurted out% :Not3 We are not3; I went o+er to him and hoo'ed an arm around =un$ ,an$s arm% pullin$ him closer to my side. *is eyes widened once more. I $lowered at him and then <uic'ly smiled. : 3$$a1please. Itll be $ood for the both of us. At least now we can see each other e+ery day%; I said% pinchin$ him hard in the arm. *e neither flinched nor pulled awayG instead he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and leaned in closer. Damn. Why did his arms had to feel so stron$- :Fine% if thats what you want =i Won%; he said% reachin$ out to tousle my damp hair% pluc'in$ a few strands while he was at it. I elbowed him to ma'e him let $o. Mr. 2ar' smiled at the both of us. :,o% its settled then-; We both loo'ed at each other and $a+e him an underlyin$ smile. ))) :*ai)choo3; I snee>ed hard% and wiped my nose with the tissue% followin$ 2ar' =un$ ,an$ down the street. =un$ ,an$ wal'ed ahead of me% spea'in$ on the phone. :What are you tal'in$ about% ae Woo- I dont want to $o there e+er a$ain. I dont want to remember her face. "ah3 Dont you $i+er my number you b8tch)ass pun'33; My $oodness% 2in$2on$0oy didn(t 'now how to lower his tone of +oice. :Alri$ht. Ill meet you there% after I wal' the stray cat home%; he said% followed by a stran$e chuc'le. :No way. I(m not brin$in$ her alon$3; I loo'ed up in surprise. he f8c'in retard was tal'in$ about me. *e called me a stray cat3 I(ll ha+e his head for it. I hurried o+er to him and pluc'ed the phone from his $rasp% holdin$ it behind me.

*e tried to reach for it. :What do you thin' youre doin$-; :"ou called me a stray cat3; :,o-; :Im not a stray cat3; *e lau$hed in my face. :*a+e you loo'ed in the mirror yet-; I ha+ent. And I dont thin' I wanted to. I was afraid he mi$ht be ri$ht. *e stepped closer towards me as if he was chec'in$ me out for the second time. :0arbie has transformed into a beast. ,ee% this is how you should really loo' li'e. 2lain u$ly.; he tears were already formin$ in my eyes. I couldnt belie+e he was this relentless with his insults. :I hate you3; I screamed% slammin$ down his phone a$ainst the pa+ement% causin$ it to shatter into pieces. :Did you 6ust do that-; :"es. I did33; : hats it3; he said% throwin$ me o+er his shoulder and carryin$ me down the street. I 'ic'ed and scream% demandin$ him to put me down. :2ut me down3; :No.; :Where are you ta'in$ me-; :My place.; :Why-; :Dont as' why.; DI(m not $oin$.D My cell phone ran$. =un$ ,an$ stopped and dropped me down. I screamed when my rear)end hit the $round. he phone continued to rin$. :9i+e me the phone.; :No.; :9i+e me the phone3; I <uic'ly answered it% standin$ up. :/nnyeong haseyo.; :=i Won. Is =un$ ,an$ with you-; he +oice belon$ed to ?im ae Woo. :Err..no%; I lied. :4eally-;

:"es.; :Dont lie.; :Im1at home.; D,o% you $uys are not comin$-D I was meant to $o somewhere with =un$ ,an$- DWhat-D :9i+e me the phone3; =un$ ,an$ interrupted% tryin$ to snatch it from my $rasp. I bit his hand% causin$ him to withdraw immediately. I heard ae Woos +oice yellin$ from the other line. :"ah3 !ee =i Won% you lyin$ b)))D I hun$ up on him before he could call me a b8tch. =un$ ,an$ was still nurturin$ his bitten hand. *e loo'ed up to me li'e a youn$ child who had done nothin$ wron$ to deser+e it. I stuc' my ton$ue at him and said% :No one touches my phone.; he phone be$an to rin$ a$ain. I answered it. :F8c' off% ?im ae Woo3; I shouted. he +oice didnt belon$ to ?im ae Woo. It was my mother. :Whos ?im ae Woo- "our boyfriend- Its $ettin$ late and =in *yun$ is still not bac'. If anythin$ happens to him% Ill hold you responsible% =i Won.; hat stupid little brat wasnt home yet- :Bmma% dont worry. *es probably $otten himself lost or somethin$. Im sure hell find his own way home.; =un$ ,an$ seein$ that I was tal'in$ to my mom on the phone decided to do somethin$ really stupid. *e came o+er to ho+er o+er my shoulder. :=i Won)ah3 *elp me out of my clothes. Im all tired out from playin$ bas'etball3; he spo'e loud and clear. :!ee =i Won3 =ust what the hell are you doin$ bein$ in the same room with a $uy- Is he your boyfriend-3; My mother shouted from the other line. :Bmma% its not li'e that)))D =un$ ,an$ inter6ected% :,lowly. ,lowy% =i Won. "ou ha+e to ta'e it off slowly.; I hun$ up the phone before my mother went cra>y. I turned to face him% sho+in$ on the shoulder. :"ah3 Who do you thin' you are-3; *e shru$$ed carelessly. :Im $oin$ home. Dont bother wal'in$ me home. Im sic' of seein$ your face.; :I hope you $et sic'. ,ic' until you rot away3; he yelled in my face. :"A*3 I hope you)))AI)5*##3; I snee>ed in his face. 2B*A**A*A33 2ar' =un$ ,an$ 6ust stood there with my snot and sali+a plastered on his face. I reached for a tissue and sho+ed it into his $rasp. :9oodni$ht% o$$a.; With that% I blew him a 'iss and too' off in a run down the street% hearin$ him curse and shout after me. Chp.11- 0he B#ac) Sheep an' i!s Mo!h When I arri+ed at home% =in *yun$ still hadnt returned. My mother insisted she was $oin$ to call the cops but my father

told her to wait on it. hat(s when they both started to interro$ate me. :Which friend was it% =i Won-; my mother drilled me. :I dont 'now. ,ome 'ids house%; I answered% wipin$ my runnin$ nose with a tissue paper. :Whats wron$ with you-; my father in<uired. :5au$ht a cold.; My phone started to +ibrate a$ainst the coffee table. My mother was starin$ me down with her eyes and I chose to i$nore it instead. I ne+er li'ed it when she did that to me. It was far more worst than ha+in$ her <uestionin$ me. :Bmma% dont loo' at me li'e Im some 'ind of culprit. hat brat left to his friends house and he didnt tell me which. *e 6ust told me to inform you.; R2hone still rin$in$ in bac'$roundL :*ow come I $et the feelin$ youre lyin$ to me% =i Won-; #ecause I ve always been a bad liar( :Why would I lie for-; My father cut in% reachin$ for the phone but I beat him to it first. :=i Won% shut off your phone immediately%; he warned. My mother held out her hand% $esturin$ for me to $i+e it to her. :"our boyfriend callin$ you-; I snorted. :Bmma% be real. I dont any $uys callin$ me e&cept for)))*E4#3; I burst% 6umpin$ from my seat and turned my head away to answer it. :"A*3 "#B 0A, A4D. DID "#B 4" # ?I!! "#B4,E!F A9AIN-33; *ero was my $uy cousin who li+es in 2usan. A blac' sheep of the !ee family. *es an adrenaline 6un'ie who recently ac<uired this stran$e addiction to life itself. Bntil this day% I still ha+ent fi$ured out why his friends called him *ero. Whene+er he called me% he called for one reason only1 :=i Won)ah3 I need your help. Im bro'e.; What did I tell you:Are you in the hospital a$ain-3; I as'ed. he last time he called% he was lyin$ in the hospital bed with bro'en limbs. *e would use his bored e&cuse so that I would $o o+er and 'eep him company. ?eepin$ him company S 9i+in$ him money :,tupid. Im in front of your house and)))D At the same time% the front door swun$ opened and in came =in *yun$% cryin$ his head off as he hurried to my mothers side. :Mommy3 hey almost cut i! all off33; he whined% throwin$ his arms around her waist. ,he cradled him close% stro'in$ his bac' while tryin$ to calm him down. ,he loo'ed at me accusin$ly. :=i Won- What is $oin$ on-; =in *yun$ wiped his eyes and pointed at me. : hese older $uys were pic'in$ on me. hey too' me to some scary place and started as'in$ me <uestions. And when I called her for help% she hun$ up on me.; I $ritted my teeth and refrained myself from attac'in$ the little brat. :"our brother was in trouble and you hun$ up on him- Not only that but you also lied to me. *ow could you do that% =i Won-;

0efore I could answer her% the mid$et interrupted. :I almost died while she was stuc' foolin$ around with her boyfriend.; :"ou wouldnt be dyin$ you little b8tch% youd be d8c'less33; I shouted% ready to throw myself at him when a hand held me bac'. I turned to loo' at the person% 6er'in$ my arm away. :"ah3 Why do you ha+e to stop)))D I was starin$ into the handsome face of *ero a.'.a !ee "oon aeG my $uy cousin that I was 6ust on the phone with. !ee "oon ae had unnaturally pale s'in for a $uy. he 'ind of flawless s'in e+ery $irl would 'ill for. he thin$ is% he resembles =ae =oon$ from Don$ 0an$ ,hin ?i but he was taller with messier hair and more on the ru$$ed side. *ow coincidental that they were both called *ero. I once told him that him and =ae =oon$ was separated at birth and "oon ae was the less fortunate one. *e hates it when I compare him to =ae =oon$. .e said to me) %2hut u$. /t least I m 6778 all me.& /nd I told him. %2hut u$. /re you calling him fake(& %,eah. I read on the internet somewhere that he s really a girl. I bet his balls are fake too-& /nd then I said to him. %,ou re *ust *ealous because he s talented and he s making money) and he s getting all the girls.& %"shh) they ll be disa$$ointed once they find out the truth.& 0efore I could open my mouth to $reet him% I was sho+ed out of the way by my mother who be$an attac'in$ him with her slaps. :"ou. Its you who too' =in *yun$% ri$ht- Its you3; "oon ae was screamin$ out% :Auntie% its me3 ,top it% auntie3; =in *yun$ was $i$$lin$ li'e a mischie+ous little bastard that he is. I saw my chance and $rabbed him from his seat and slapped his head once. 0in$o. *e cried. My father% in the meanwhile was tryin$ to pry my mother away from the fearful "oon ae. :*oney% thats "oon ae. !et him $o.; My mother was still 'ic'in$ and screamin$ when I rushed forward and dra$$ed "oon ae up the stairs with me. When we reached my room% I shut the door behind me% loc'in$ it in the process. "oon ae flun$ his blac' duffel ba$ and sat on the ed$e of the bed% crin$in$ in pain. :Damn% shes worst than my mother%; he whined% touchin$ his now bruised face. I went to sit ne&t to him% ta'in$ notice of the badass appearance he was puttin$ on. he motocross 6ac'et% the pierced ears and eyebrow% the blac' tee% alon$ with the wallet chain that dan$led from his loose blac' denims screamed out rebel. :I can understand why. Whats with you and callin$ une&pectedly and showin$ up whene+er you feel li'e it- 0y the way% did you help =in *yun$-; :"eah% followed him and his captors on my bi'e. At first% I didnt thin' it was him. I was more curious in what the bastard were $oin$ to do to him. And then when I heard his cryin$% I 'new ri$ht away that it had to be the mid$et. ,o I went in there with my bi'e and chased those f8c'ers away.; *e started to lau$h. :,hould ha+e seen the one $uy% he pissed ri$ht in his pants cause he was so scared.; :*a ha% funny%; I moc'ed. : hat still doesnt e&plain what youre doin$ here.; :"our father didnt tell you- Im transferrin$ schools a$ain% and Ill be stayin$ here in ,eoul.; *e reached up to scratch the bac' of his head% smilin$ $uiltily. :I 'ind of made a promise to my mother that Id $raduate this year. hat)))and the fact that annihilated the old mans car. oo ma'e up for it% I ha+e to pass.; "oon ae had always been a hopeless student who chooses to use his brain outside of school. *e chan$ed schools li'e he chan$ed outfits because of his lac' of showin$ up. I couldnt belie+e my father ne$lected to mention anythin$ about "oon ae comin$ o+er to stay with us. Which wasnt a bad thin$ because "oon ae had always been fun to han$ around with and I consider him to be somethin$ li'e an older brother to me. E+en better% he was $ood at 'eepin$ the annoyin$ brat away from me.

he bad side to it"oon ae was $oin$ to find out about the in+incible 2in$2on$0oy and most li'ely theyll turn into bitter enemies because "oon ae was the competiti+e type. :Which school-; I as'ed% findin$ that my +oice had $one small. *e $a+e me a sideway $lare and answered% :What other school% dummy- "ours of course.; *e mo+ed to reach for his ba$. :"ou could say I+e chan$ed and I(+e ta'en upon a new interest.; :4eally- "ou ha+e a $irlfriend-; 4eason why I as'ed him that is because I+e always suspected him of bein$ $ay. his was the $uy who ne+er dated any $irl before. Which is <uite surprisin$ considerin$ that he always $et mista'en for =ae =oon$ and has plenty of $irls stal'in$ him most of the time. *is eyes widened. :"ah3 "ou thin' I ha+e time for a $irlfriend- 9irls are only $ood at one thin$.; I stuc' my chin out. :#h really and what is that-; :Dri+in$ a man cra>y with their numerous of complaints.; :,hut up. At least our brains are in our head not our pants3D *e 6ust loo'ed at me li'e I was a dummy. DWhere the hell did that come from-D I decided to $et bac' to the point. DWhat is it-; :I decided to do somethin$ different from all my e&treme sports%; he said% slowly remo+in$ a blac' ob6ect from his ba$ and held it front of me. : a)da3 Its a pin$)pon$ rac'et. ,hes different from all the rac'ets out there. I call her 1he #lack 5oth. What you thin'% =i Won-; 9reat. =ust f8c'in$ $reat. All of this was too much of a coincidence. If 0utterfly ?en6i wasnt bad enou$h% stupid !ee "oon ae had a name for his rac'et too. #ut of pure annoyance% I snatched the rac'et from his hand and tossed it across the room% and then stood up to face him. :*a+e you lost your mind- #ut of all the sports in the world% why did you ha+e to play a dumb sport li'e that-3; *e stood up with his furrowin$ to$ether. :Whats wron$ with you- hats my rac'et you 6ust threw33; ,ho+in$ my head% he hurried to pic' up his rac'et. : ouch it li'e that a$ain% and Ill rip your head off%; he bar'ed at me and be$an to blow and wipe at it as if the thin$ meant the world to him. JJJ I wo'e up to the sound of my phone and blindly reached for it beside me to answer it. :*ello-; :,hes sic'%; came the +oice of 2ar' =un$ ,an$. Feelin$ a little out of it myself% I said% :*uh-; :,hes sic' because of you. "ou better $et youre aAA o+er here and brin$ o+er some remedy.; :Why dont you do it-; :0ecause youre her babysitter. 0esides% I cant. I ha+e to watch the house.; :Whate+er% youre 6ust la>y.; :"ou better come.;

:"ou miss me that much- #hhhh how sweet of you my lo+eable boyfriend%; I said sweetly% addin$ smooches with it. And then I hun$ on him and went bac' to sleep. #ne hour later1 :=i Won% wa'e up33; the +oice shouted. I $rumbled and then turned o+er to flutter my lids opened to find that I was starin$ at a $uy standin$ half na'ed with only his pants on% carryin$ a tray of somethin$ in his hands. I <uic'ly sat up in a panic. :What are you doin$ in my room-3; :Dummy% who do you thin' I am% your boyfriend-; It was only "oon ae. Wait a second here. "oon ae has washboard abs-3 :Auntie told me to reheat this soup for you so)))D I didnt let him finish. I was up and hoppin$ from my bed. :Im late for school333; I shouted at the top of my lun$s% rushin$ out of my room. "oon ae had cau$ht me by the arm and half)dra$$ed me bac' into the room. :What the hell- "oure sic'. 9o bac' to bed.; :I am-; I felt my head% feelin$ it burn. :Wah3 I am3; I cried out. Was my immune system that wea'"oon ae forced me to sit on the bed. :Why are you so e&cited to $o to school anyway- "oure boyfriend waitin$ for you-; I $lared at him from under my brows. :I dont ha+e a boyfriend.; :4i$ht. hen whos the pun' who 'eeps callin$ you-; :*e called-; "oon ae handed me the phone. : en missed calls. I deleted the other ten out of boredom.; I felt my head spin. :Did you tal' to him-; : wice.; Bh oh. :What did he say to you-; :*e cursed me. old me to f8c' off and put you on the phone.; :And what did you say-; :I told him to f8c' off and lea+e you alone.; Not a $ood start. : hats it-; :No. I told him that threats o+er the phone are useless. If he was such a tou$h $uy% hed be o+er the house by now.;

:"ou what-3; he sound of sudden poundin$ made me 6ump. I hurried to my window% fearful of seein$ the truth. here he was% poundin$ hard on my door. 2in$2on$0oy was fumin$ mad. My heart pounded e+en faster and I found it hard to breathe. I turned to face my cousin. :!ee "oon ae% Ill 'ill you first before he has his way with you33; And that% my friends% was the last thin$ I said before I fell unconscious. Chp.1*- A.ic) 4eco?ery an' =isco?ery 5haos happened. hats what my dream told me anyway. In my dream the two of them fou$ht until they were bloodied and limpin$. No matter how much I screamed for them to stop% none of them paid any attention to me. hey made me feel li'e I ne+er e&isted. I be$an cryin$. =un$ ,an$ was the first to notice so he came up to me and placed somethin$ into my hand. When I uncurled my fin$ers% there was this beautiful butterfly% flutterin$ its win$s li'e it was ready to ta'e off. And then I dropped it because I was scared of insects. hats when I wo'e up. And $uess what2ar' =un$ ,an$ was sleepin$ ri$ht ne&t to me. *is ri$ht arm acted as my pillow. At first I thou$ht I was still dreamin$. *e loo'ed so peaceful sleepin$ there li'e he had all the time in the world. When I reached out to po'e at his chee'% I reali>ed that he was actually real. Aiieee3 his wasnt ri$ht. I screamed out% :A***************333; hat wo'e him ri$ht up. 4ubbin$ at his eyes% he mumbled% :Why you ha+e to scream for- Are you out of your mind-; I made an attempt to push him off the bed. :"oure sleepin$ on the same bed as me3 9et out of my room% you retard333; *e was as still as a roc'% wearin$ his famous annoyed e&pression on his face. I had no stren$th left in me to push so I $a+e up. ,ittin$ upri$ht% he reached out to feel my head but I <uic'ly slapped his hand away. :Dont touch me.; :I already did%; he said without loo'in$ at me. Wait. What did he mean by that- :"ou what-3; :Aish3 Why you $otta yell for-3; :I can yell all I want. his is my room and my house and youre not allowed in here so $et the hell out3; :Whate+er%; he said% followed by a yawn. :For a sic' person% you+e $ot a set of lun$s on you.; :"eah% well youre far more worst than me% so I wouldnt be tal'in$.; *e snorted. :I thin' it was better off when youre sleepin$. We $et alon$ better that way.;

:"ah3 Who in their ri$ht mind would want to $et alon$ with you and why would you e+en thin' that- We hate each other%; I had to remind him and myself. :Why are $irls always li'e that-; he as'ed% sparin$ a $lance in my direction. :Actin$ all stubborn and when the truth is% they feel1different.; :What are you tryin$ to say- hat I li'e you-; :"ou do. E+en if you dont admit it% but you do.; Where did I hear that line fromI couldnt belie+e this $uy. his was so out of character for him. I had to pinch myself 6ust to ma'e sure I hadnt mista'en. hin'in$ hard about it% I decided to play his $ame too. :And you- "ou really li'e me. #therwise you wouldnt be here% sleepin$ ri$ht ne&t to me and cradlin$ my head with your arm.; *e craned his nec' to loo' at me as if he was tryin$ to read throu$h me. And then he shifted his whole body around so that we sat facin$ each other. : ell me somethin$% #arbie. Is that the seductress !ee =i Won comin$ out to play- 0ecause if it is% tell her she can $o bac' to where she belon$s.; I reached out to slap him but he cau$ht my arm. :!et $o. It hurts you b8tch3; I cried. *e complied% droppin$ my arm. I noticed the redness on my arm and be$an to whine. :Wahh3 !oo' what you did to my arm. Its all red3; :=ust testin$ to see if youre s'in is as thic' as your s'ull.; I $lared at him without a response. : he truth is% I came because I felt $uilty for what I said to you yesterday. I didnt mean it.; *e lowered his face as if he was ashamed of himself. :I didnt 'now that youd $et this sic'.; At first I really couldnt understand what he was tal'in$ about% but then I remembered. %I ho$e you get sick. 2ick until you rot away-& :I dont remember what you said and I dont care%; I lied% loo'in$ away and then added% :0ut an apolo$y would be nice.; *e became an$ry a$ain. :"ah3 Why should I apolo$i>e for-; :0ut you 6ust admitted that you felt $uilty3; *e wanted to say somethin$ else when his phone went off. *e $ot off the bed and stood with his bac' to me. :What is it-; :*ye Min% listen to me. Im sorry% I cant%; I heard him mumble on. *ye Min- *ow come that name sounded familiar- Where did I hear that name from:Maybe ne&t time. ell ae Woo to ta'e you home.; It all came re$isterin$ bac' to me. !ee "oon ae had once told me online1 %2hin .ye 5in is one of the $rettiest girls- 2he s $o$ular for her $retty face. 9veryone always uses her $icture on the internet. 2he s u$ there with "ark .an #yul.&

No% it couldnt be that coincidental% could it0ut it had to be3 =un$ ,an$ hun$ up the phone and turned bac' to face me. :Are you feelin$ better yet-; :No.; :Dont lie.; :Im not. Why would I-; I shot bac'% with my mind suddenly driftin$ to my cousin "oon ae. #h $osh% how could I for$et about !ee "oon aeI $ot off the bed and confronted =un$ ,an$ about it. :"ah3 What did you do to my cousin-; *e loo'ed at me <uestionin$ly. :*es your cousin-; :"eah1; :*es 'noc'ed out cold.; I $rabbed at his shirt% sha'in$ him +iolently. :What did you do to him- Why do you ha+e to hurt him- Why-33; *e swiped my hands aside. :5alm the f8c' down and let me e&plain first.; :E&plain3; I <uipped at him. :Well1; ) Lee ,oon 1ae hurried downstairs) *um$ing down the rest of the stairs and stood in front of the door) shouting out) %,ah- If you re so good) knock down that door first--& he challenged. "ark Jung 2ang who had been re$eatedly kicking at the door) shouted in return. %,ah- If you re a real man) come out from your hiding-& %Who are you to Lee Ji Won(-& ,oon 1ae asked. :kick; %I m her boyfriend- Who the f*ck are you to her(& Jung 2ang answered and asked back. :kick; %,ou re a liar. Lee Ji Won will never have a boyfriend(-& :kick; %Why the f*ck not(& :kick; %#ecause she told me she hates guys-& :kicks harder; %1hat doesn t mean she can t have a boyfriend. Who the f*ck are you to her(-& :still kicking;

%,ou don t need to know) you f*cker-& :sto$s kicking; %What did you *ust call me(& %,ou f*cker- 1hat s what I called you) you f*!!& With one final kick) the door broke o$ened. /nd before ,oon 1ae could finish cursing) the im$act of the door thrown him back) knocking him out com$letely. Jung 2ang stood studying the half naked guy on the floor) $iecing the story together. %2h*t) Ji Won. What have you gotten yourself into(& ) I finished listenin$ to him and snorted in disbelief. :!i'e Im really $oin$ to belie+e you. Why would "oon ae be that stupid to stand in front of a door that you were about to 'noc' down-; :0ecause "oon ae 'nows 6ac')sh8t about me. And he loo's li'e a dumbass% thats why.; :Who you callin$ dumb)ass you f8c'er%; came the +oice by the doorway. !ee "oon ae slowly entered the room% rubbin$ at his forehead. :,tay away from her%; he warned =un$ ,an$. I watched their e&chan$ed of e&pressions. It loo'ed as if they were ready to tear each other apart. I didnt li'e it at all. My ni$htmare was becomin$ reality. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ suddenly put his arms around my shoulder. :=i Won)ah. Is this the cousin you spo'e so hi$hly of- Im sorry that I 'noc'ed him unconscious%; he paused% loo'in$ down at me% :"ou really need to $et a sturdier door.; I elbowed him in the ribs to $et him to let $o. :9o home% =un$ ,an$. I dont li'e the fact that you came bar$in$ in here li'e you own the place and then 'noc' my cousin unconscious and then fall asleep beside me li'e you had e+ery ri$ht to.; :I fed you medicine% listened to your horrible snorin$ and wiped the drool from your mouth and now youre 'ic'in$ me out-; he said in disbelief. My face flushed a deep red. *ow could he embarrass me li'e that"oon ae <uic'ly cut in% sensin$ my embarrassment. :Dont worry% =i Won. I had to do the same thin$ before he $ot here.; #h $osh. ?ill me. =un$ ,an$ i$nored "oon ae. :Na)Na needs you% thats why Im here%; he said matter)of)factly% ma'in$ me for$et for 6ust a second that I hated him. :What you mean- Is she really sic'-; I as'ed% be$innin$ to worry about his niece. :Whos Na)Na-; "oon ae in<uired. :None of your business. And $o put on a shirt%; =un$ ,an$ replied bitterly. "oon ae stepped toward us. :Why are you 6ealous-; he pro+o'ed. :Dis$usted more li'e it.; :Is that why you 'eep your shirt on-; he two stepped closer to each other but I mana$ed to s<uee>e myself in between them. :Dammit. hats enou$h. If you

want $o beat each other somewhere else% not in this house.; hey left me alone. Damn. ))) :I was 'iddin$33; I yelled% $rabbin$ the both their arms at the same time% tryin$ to pre+ent them from lea+in$. :Dont fi$ht% please3. Fi$htin$ isnt $ood. @iolence is bad.; :5ome with me and Ill spare your cousins life%; =un$ ,an$ stated% still eyein$ my cousin. "oon ae burst into an abrupt lau$hter. :Where did you find this idiot- From a mental ward-; 0efore =un$ ,an$ could 6ump "oon ae% I a$reed. :Ill $o. Fine% Ill $o.; :"ah3 !ee =i Won. "ou 6ust insulted me3; "oon ae said an$rily. :5mon% oppa. I pic' on you all the time.; : his is different. "ou thin' hes capable of 'ic'in$ my ass thats why you+e a$reed to $o with him3; =un$ ,an$ smir'ed e+illy. B$h. 9uys and their e$os. I thin' I+e 6ust unintentionally busted "oon aes balls. :I+e seen him 'ic'ed a lot of asses alri$ht. And plus% Im $oin$ because of Na)Na% not him.; :Who the hell is Na)Na-; :=un$ ,an$s little niece that Im babysittin$.; "oon ae loo'ed at me incredulously. :"oure babysittin$ his niece- Are you possessed% =i Won-; :, B2ID N##NA3 IM *#ME3 W*A *A22ENED # *E D##43; =in *yun$ called out from the front door% interruptin$ us. I slapped my forehead and heard his fast approachin$ footsteps $ettin$ closer. When he saw all three of us standin$ there loo'in$ li'e idiots% he said% :!oo's li'e stupid sic' noona is all better. Im callin$ umma about you brin$in$ o+er a $uy at our house and that you bro'e the door3; 0efore I could stop him% =in *yun$ hurried o+er to the phone and be$an dialin$. I screamed at him and he co+ered his ears to bloc' out my calls. "oon ae was ahead of me. *e lifted the brat o+er his shoulder and carried him out of the room. =in *yun$ yelled out% :!et $o. !et $o or Ill pull out all your hair% "oon ae3; :!oo's li'e you+e found him% huh-; =un$ ,an$ <uestioned% spea'in$ of =in *yun$. :,tupid "oon ae had to sa+e him.; :,eein$ how he is now% I would ha+e left him d8c'less%; he remar'ed. :*urry up. 9o and $et chan$ed. Were $oin$ to see Na)Na.; Chp.1,- O.!er Bea.!y :Im not all that sic'. =un$ ,an$ is ma'in$ a bi$ deal. And its because of him that Im not all that sic'. *e was here all ni$ht% ta'in$ care of me. I dont thin' he $ot any sleep%; Na)Na e&plained.

,he was sittin$ upri$ht on her bed with the pillows and cushions supportin$ her bac'. he swellin$ on her forehead wasnt as bi$ as I thou$ht it would $et. ,he was pale but she loo'ed li'e she was $oin$ to be fine. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was o+erreactin$ because Na)Na wanted to see me. 0ut then a$ain% 2ar' =un$ ,an$ always o+erreacted. I finally understood why he was sleepin$ beside me when I wo'e up. Now I felt sli$htly $uilty for yellin$ at him. he $uy was sleep depri+ed because he had been tendin$ to his neice. Na)Na reached out to ta'e my hand affectionately. :"ou loo' paler than I do. I heard you were sic' too.; :I was% but Im better. I feel much better. I $uess now we should both stay away from the pool.; Na)Na smiled. :Im sorry that I lied. I 6ust wanted to do somethin$ spontaneous and I wanted you to 6oin me. Im sorry% =i Won.; I reached out to tousle her hair. :Its o'ay. As lon$ as you apolo$i>e% Im fine.; Na)Na raised a curious brow. :Does that mean I can do anythin$ as lon$ as I apolo$i>e afterward-; :No. No. It 6ust means that you shouldnt)))6ust dont $et in trouble a$ain% because Im the one responsible for you and your uncle would ha+e my head for it.; ,he bobbed her head obediently. :I li'e you a lot% =i Won.; he way she said it made me feel appreciati+e. I was startin$ to feel for the little $irl. here was somethin$ special about her. I 6ust couldnt place my fin$er on it. :Mom% please dont $o in there3; =un$ ,an$ yelled from outside the room. My body went ri$id. Mrs. 2ar' was finally home:Id li'e to meet this new babysitter of ours%; the elderly woman stated mee'ly. Na)Na $i$$led in reaction. :"oure $onna li'e her.; he door opened and in wal'ed a short petite loo'in$ middle)a$ed woman wearin$ a stylish business suit. ,he had those eyes that po'ed ri$ht throu$h you. he 'ind of eyes that indicated what she thou$ht of you at first $lance. And I could tell that she li'ed me already. :My% my% my =un$ ,an$. I ne+er 'new youd find yourself another pretty $irlfriend so <uic'ly. A face such as yours can attract pretty $irls- Im impressed.; I li'ed her already. ,he made me fluster the same way her husband did. =un$ ,an$ strode into the room with his fists balled at his sides. :Now you+e met her% you can lea+e%; he said coldy. :Dont spea' to me that way% =un$ ,an$%; she bar'ed at him. *e turned his face away without a reply. I li'e seein$ =un$ ,an$ not bein$ in control. urnin$ bac' to re$ard me% she said% :"oure !ee =i Won% ri$ht-; I nodded and replied% :"es.; : ell me somethin$% =i Won. Are you $oin$ to brea' my sons heart 6ust li'e that ,hin *ye Min snot did-; :Mom% dont do this%; =un$ ,an$ interrupted.

,o I was ri$ht. ,hin *ye Min was really her name. And no doubt that it had to be the same person tal'in$ to =un$ ,an$ earlier. ,hin *ye Min was hi e&)$irlfriend. *ow was I to reply to such a <uestion:Bhm1I cant really answer that1; ,he too' a step forward and her eyes widened when she as'ed% :What was that-; Absentmindedly% I blurted% :I mean. I cant brea' his heart because his heart is made out of steel3; Mrs. 2ar' shaped her mouth into a form of an 7o. =un$ ,an$ tu$$ed at his mothers arm. :Alri$ht% the introductory is o+er. "ou can lea+e.; Mrs. 2ar' was 6ust as persistent and stubborn as her son. :I need to spea' with !ee =i Won alone. "ou stay out of this =un$ ,an$.; With that% she hoo'ed an arm around mine and led me away. I turned as I wal'ed past =un$ ,an$ who $a+e me one of those 7dont)mess)this)up loo's. )) Mrs. 2ar' and I had our discussion o+er a cup of tea. ,he too' a small sip from her cup% lea+in$ behind her red lip print. :*ow lon$ ha+e you li'ed my son-; I+e always wondered. *ow come old a$in$ women werent aware that scarlet red lipstic' loo'ed terrible on themI loo'ed down at my teacup. :Well1we 6ust met each other.; :And youre to$ether-; a'in$ drama class helped. "ou could say that Im a $ood actor. It was time to step into the role of the sweet and innocent $irlfriend that =un$ ,an$ wanted. :Were practically in the same classes and since Im the only person that =un$ ,an$ tal's to% he as'ed me if I wanted to become his $irlfriend.; :=ust li'e that-; :"es.; : ell me somethin$ else% =i Won. Do you thin' my son is attracti+e- 0e honest with me.; #e honest) Ji Won. Don t lie. :I find your son +ery attracti+e. Althou$h he tends to hide himself.; :=un$ ,an$ has been insulted numerous of times for his loo's. *es always belie+ed that he was u$ly because of one $irls insult.; #ne insult can do so much dama$e to a poor $uy(s e$o. =un$ ,an$ was an e&ample of that. :I came across =un$ ,an$s picture. *e had lon$ hair then. It1was 'ind of stran$e. I thou$ht he was a $irl. Why would he want to u$lify himself li'e that-; ,he loo'ed pu>>lin$ly at me. :B$lify-; :I mean)))why doesnt he want to pro+e to them that hes not what he ma'es himself to be-; Mrs. 2ar' let out a little si$h. :I dont understand either. I dont thin' I e+er will.; ,he leaned in closer. :!isten closely. Ne&t wee'% my husband and I are celebratin$ our NIth year anni+ersary. I was thin'in$ that perhaps you could help us.; I almost cho'ed on my tea. :*elp in what way-; :5lean him up a little. I want him to loo' presentable in front of e+eryone. I want him to beha+e li'e a $entleman. "ou thin' you could help us-;

:Bhm..I can try.; Mrs. 2ar' crossed her arms in front of her chest as if she demanded it. : ryin$ is not $ood enou$h% =i Won. I want you to do it. Im countin$ on you.; I $a+e her one of my underlyin$ smiles and nodded in a$reement. I dont 'now what I was thin'in$ ta'in$ on that tas'. My hands were full already% considerin$ I had Na)Na to ta'e care of. Now I had to ta'e care of the uncle too- o be more e&act% I had to chan$e him into a $entleman. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was no $entleman. *e was a monster. I needed more than a wee's time. Aiii$oo3 0ut I dont ha+e that much time3 )) !ater that e+enin$% I met up with ?im ,oo =in inside one of our fa+orite restaurants. ,oo =in was hun$ry for ramen a$ain. ,he had to ha+e her ramen at least once a wee'. ,he chewed hun$rily at her noodles while spea'in$ to me. :"ah3 =i Won)ah. "ou ha+e a real problem on your hands. If you dont li'e any of it% why do you e+en a$ree-3; :"ou dont understand% ,oo =in. Its the 'id. Im doin$ this all for her.; :Dont tell me you ha+e a thin$ for 'ids% =i Won.; :I ha+e this attachment to her. I feel li'e I ha+e to ta'e care of her. In a way I feel li'e I ha+e to protect her%; I e&claimed. :B$h. "oure 6ust losin$ your mind% thats all.; I sho+ed her in the head. :Eat your damn food.; ,he half)cho'ed and sputtered out. :Im tryin$ to3; I stared down at my fid$etin$ fin$ers. :Whate+er happened to my normal life% ,oo =in-; ,he pushed aside her finished bowl. :Are you stupid- No ones life is normal.; ,he belched loudly before continuin$% catchin$ the attention of the others who sat nearby. :Anyhow% I ha+e analo$y. I heard it from somewhere. ,ou can drag a horse to the river but you can t make him drink. hat is how I see =un$ ,an$ as.; ,oo =in was ri$ht about that. I plopped my head down a$ainst the table% stompin$ my feet repeatedly a$ainst the floor li'e a distressed child. :=i Won% dont be that way%; ,oo =in said% tappin$ on my shoulder. :#h sh8t% =i Won. !oo' who 6ust entered.; I raised my head to the entrance to see a pretty loo'in$ youn$ woman with her friend. hey were ta'in$ snapshots of themsel+es with their camera phone. I heard ,oo =in mumblin$% :I en+y people li'e them% they loo' $ood anywhere they $o.; I had to s<uint to see clearer. I really thin' I need $lasses. he two $irls were $i$$lin$ happily while doin$ stupid poses and ta'in$ snap shots of each other. And then they chose a seat at the far end% ad6acent to us. :What- "ou en+y plastic people-; : heyre not plastic% =i Won. "oure loo'in$ at the beautiful ,hin *ye Min3; she said with e&citement in her tone. It was my turn to mumble. ,hin *ye Min was pretty% but she wasnt all that $reat loo'in$ in real life. :I heard she isnt all that real. ,he had her eyelids done.; :Well% I $uess only your 2in$pon$boy 'nows the truth. *e used to date her% didnt he-;

his ,hin *ye Min character was slowly wor'in$ her way into my life. here was no way I could a+oid her. E+erywhere I went now% our life seems to emer$e one way or another. I cau$ht her loo'in$ in our direction. ,he stood up and wal'ed o+er to us. A smile spread on her face the moment she reached our table. :!ee =i Won- I heard all about you.; I had to force a smile on my own face. :4eally- From who-; :?im ae Woo told me e+erythin$. I heard youre datin$ 2ar' =un$ ,an$ now.; I was $oin$ to 'ill ?im ae Woo. :Bh1; :Its o'ay% I dont mind.; 2ure you don t mind. 5y ass you don t mind. ,ou came to me for a reason. ,ou wanted to stick your nose into my business so that you can make yourself look good) you snotty b*tch,he $i$$led. It was one of them small $i$$les that went so well with her pretty face. :"oure +ery pretty. I dont understand why you had to use my picture%; she remar'ed slyly. #h $osh. ae Woo was definitely $oin$ to die. I cau$ht ,oo =in free>in$ li'e a statue as if she done somethin$ wron$. :0ut dont worry% I dont mind.; he way she said it pro+ed to me that she ma'in$ fun of me. I really didnt li'e this ,hin *ye Min character. ,he reminded me too much of the e+il conni+in$ characters in them stories. :Im sorry that I cant be opened li'e you. If only I had the self)confidence you ha+e. "ou thin' Id become as popular as you-; I retorted. he smile on her face immediately disappeared. *er hand purposely shot out to 'noc' the water o+er% causin$ it to spill onto my lap. ,he co+ered her mouth. :#h $osh% Im sorry. I didnt mean1oh Im really sorry.; I ta'e it bac'. ,hin *ye Min was indeed a two)face b8tch. I held out my hand when she made an awful attempt to help me by usin$ the already stained nap'ins. :No% no. Its o'ay.; I <uic'ly snatched what was left of ,oo =ins noodles and splashed it onto her face. I co+ered my own mouth. :#h $osh% Im sorry. I didnt mean1oh Im really sorry%; I mimic'ed her. And then I added% :,oo =in)ah. Huic'ly% use your camera phone and ta'e a snap shot of this.; ,oo =in didn(t hesitate. ,he too' one <uic' shot before I pulled her alon$ with me. We were almost out of the door when a male fi$ure bloc'ed our path. :I saw that%; came the unmista'able +oice belon$in$ to 2ar' =un$ ,an$. I loo'ed up at his face. At first he was $larin$ and then slowly his e&pression softened and a smile appeared. : hat was $ood.; With that% he too' hold of my hand and led me away. Chp.1/- S!a#)er "ou can call him a 'ni$ht in shinin$ armor that swept me off my feet for what he did. he only problem was% he isnt charmin$% and he didnt e&actly sweep me off my feet. All the while he led me away% I thin' I fell on my face twice. *a+in$ about enou$h% I pulled away and started to whine about my scraped palms% pantin$ out of breath. :Im bleedin$% you idiot3; *e didnt loo' at me when he muttered% :"oure out of shape% thats why.; *e accused me of bein$ out of shape when he was the one beha+in$ li'e we were runnin$ away from some bad $uys.

:Why the hell were we runnin$ for- 9ee>% its not li'e were in a hurry to $o anywhere%; I loo'ed around to see that we were standin$ in front of a tall apartment buildin$. :Why are we here-; *e came closer to me% loo'in$ a little ner+ous. :!ets 6ust $o up.; :Why-; :0ecause this is my place.; I thin' I see where this was leadin$. :Ah1so youre in+itin$ me to your place-; *is brows furrowed and I could see the irritation clic'in$ in. :Dont $et any ideas. Im not that desperate.; :I wasnt implyin$ anythin$% you dumbass3; he moment we entered the buildin$% his cell phone went off. *e loo'ed at it for a moment before shuttin$ if off and placin$ it bac' into his poc'et. :Its her% isnt it-; I <uestioned. *e shru$$ed in response. =ud$in$ by his e+asi+e response% I fi$ured he didnt really care much for ,hin *ye Min. :Well% if)))D We were interrupted by the rin$in$ of my phone. he number was restricted. I answered it% 'nowin$ who it mi$ht be. :*ello-; :"oull pay% !ee =i Won. For what you did. "oull pay%; came the +oice of ,hin *ye Min. :"#B4E 9#NNA DIE33; she burst. o be honest% it was all in the fun. When a person is an$ry% you ha+e to piss them off more 6ust so you can $et their reaction. I did it to 2in$2on$0oy% I was $oin$ to do it to his e& too. I wasnt e+en $oin$ to as' how she $ot hold of my number. Bp to this point% I 'new my life had somehow turned subliminally fictional. I stole a $lance at =un$ ,an$ who probably heard e+erythin$ *ye Min had screamed out. *e loo'ed at me with a sullen e&pression. :!ets see what my boyfriend has to say about this%; I said turnin$ fully to face him. : 3$$a% this ,hin *ye Min says Im $onna die. I thin' Im $ettin$ scared. What should we do-; :"A*3 ?IM AE W## WI!! ?I5? "#B4 #22A, A,,3; *ye Min yelled. I smiled at that. =un$ ,an$ $rabbed the phone from my $rasp. :2B *I, A,, #N *E !INE. AND 9E #FF *E F85?IN 2*#NE3; Wow. hat surprised me because I ne+er 'new he was capable of yellin$ at his e& li'e that. he ele+ator doors opened and =un$ ,an$ too' hold of my arm% pullin$ me inside while spea'in$ to ae Woo o+er the phone. When the doors were about to close% an o+erwei$ht man came hurryin$ in with us. *e was half bald and u$ly. hats all you need to 'now. he worst thin$ about him- *e stan'. I ed$e closer to =un$ ,an$ when I cau$ht the fat man loo'in$ at me li'e I was his food. :*ey there. Do you remember me-; he as'ed snidely. :Bhm1no%; I answered% a+oidin$ his $a>e. he truth was% I did remember him. *e was the fat smelly per+ert inside the train.

*e stuc' a fin$er in his nose. :I dont suppose you would. "ou called me a fat smelly per+ert inside the train% remember-; I hid my face behind =un$ ,an$s arm% crin$in$ in dis$ust. =un$ ,an$ who had 6ust hun$ up% noticed our little e&chan$ed. *e $lared at the man who was still smir'in$ with a fin$er still up his nose. :"oure dis$ustin$ and fat. What ma'es you thin' you can hit on a $irl who is old enou$h to be your dau$hter-; he mans face reddened in reaction. *e remo+ed his fin$er from his nose and pointed at =un$ ,an$. Don(t as' me what came out of it. I was too dis$usted to care. :"oure u$ly and rude. What ma'es you thin' you can 'eep such a $irlfriend-; #h no. he fat nose)pic'er had made the bi$$est mista'e in his life by callin$ =un$ ,an$ u$ly. I noticed the bul$in$ +eins alon$ =un$ ,an$s arm% pro+in$ that he was $ettin$ an$ry. As if thin$s werent meant to be% the ele+ator stopped mo+in$ and the li$hts went out. Fate had lent a hand for =un$ ,an$ 6ust so he could beat the crap out of the fat man. I was left cryin$ in my corner while the fi$ht started. I heard the fat man cryin$ out% :My balls3 My f8c'in balls33; And then =un$ ,an$ replyin$% :Whats the point in 'eepin$ it when you dont 'now how to control it-; he li$hts came bac' on. he ele+ator started to mo+e a$ain. My face was buried in my 'nees. A tap on my shoulder forced me to loo' up. he fat man was lyin$ unconscious% clutchin$ to his asset. I loo'ed incredulously up at =un$ ,an$ who held his hand out for me. :"ou didnt ha+e to do that.; he doors opened. *e led me out and said% :Dont worry% hes not unconscious. I hit him hard enou$h to $et him to feel the pain. *e 6ust has his eyes closed.; When the doors closed% an a$oni>in$ scream came from within the ele+ator. ))) =un$ ,an$s apartment was empty% e&cept for the 2in$)2on$ table placed in the center of the room. I really hoped that he didnt dra$ me all this way so that we could ha+e a 2in$)2on$ match. :,o why are we here a$ain-; *e i$nored my <uestion and turned away. :Wait% here. Ill be ri$ht bac'.; With that% =un$ ,an$ left to his room and returned with a wrapped pac'a$ed of some sort. *e handed it to me. I pointed to myself and too' the $ift from him. :What is this-; :#pen it.; he pac'a$e was more li'e a bo&. I lifted the co+er and loo'ed inside to find a stac' of photos. 2hotos of =un$ ,an$ playin$ 2in$)2on$% wal'in$ down the street% standin$ in front of the school and waitin$ at the subway. he most disturbin$ one was the one where he was sleepin$ in his bed. Althou$h% I ha+e to admit% he loo'ed rather cute when he sleeps. Not

understandin$ his intent% I handed it bac' to him. :Why would I want your pictures-; :Are you that stupid- Im showin$ you what someone sent me. I thin' I mi$ht ha+e a stal'er after my ass% thats all%; he e&plained. I lau$hed in response. :"ou- "ou ha+e a stal'er- Who would want to stal' you-; *e shru$$ed% turnin$ away from me. :I dont 'now.; 2erhaps this situation was a little more serious than I thou$ht. =un$ ,an$ loo'ed a bit disturbed by it. :I+e been $ettin$ these anonymous calls. he person doesnt say anythin$.; :Why dont you call the police-; :0ecause I dont want to in+ol+e them. I want to fi$ure it out myself.; :"ou cant do e+erythin$ yourself%; I ar$ued. :I ha+e to fi$ure out who it is. I need to 'now whos messin$ with my head.; 2o then you can go after them and beat the living sh*t out of them. I thou$ht about *ye Min. :Maybe it mi$ht be one of your e&s-; :Its not *ye Min. ,he can be psychotic at times% but not this psychotic.; I watched him $o o+er this the table and pic'ed up a rac'et. *e stared down at it a moment before sayin$% :It mi$ht not be a $irl.; :*uh- ,o you ha+e some 'ind $ay $uy stal'in$ you-; :Maybe%; he answered shamelessly. I shoo' my head in disbelief. :!oo'% I dont 'now where were $oin$ with this% but I ha+e to $et home. My moms probably worried sic'. And plus we both ha+e school tomorrow. al' to you later%; I said% headin$ for the door. hats when he came to bloc' it. :"oure not $oin$ anywhere.; *e loo'ed way too serious when he said that. My stomach be$an to ti$hten in ner+ousness. And then I reali>ed how close we were. hat hair of his was a bit too lon$. hey co+ered his pretty eyes. Damn. ,ou need a haircut. My breath was cau$ht in my throat. :Why not- Dont play around% =un$ ,an$.; :0ecause this stal'er of mine is $oin$ after you ne&t%; he replied. D*ow do you 'now-D D he person left me a te&t messa$e.D My heart be$an to pound a$ainst my chest. :0ut)))but why cant you wal' me home-; *e smir'ed at me. :What if the stal'er is there inside your room% waitin$ for you-; :*ow do you 'now heMshe isnt here ri$ht now-; I as'ed in return. Ne&t thin$ I 'new% I was $rabbin$ onto his arm% clin$in$ li'e a desperate scared little child. hen I thou$ht of "oon ae% my cousin. I reached for my phone and be$an dialin$. After three rin$s% *ero answered. :What up-; :I need to pic' me up at =un$ ,an$s buildin$.;

:Where at- And why the hell isnt he brin$in$ you home-; I 6ust reali>ed I had another problem. I didnt 'now the name of the buildin$ or what street we were on. I loo'ed at =un$ ,an$ for help% but he wal'ed away% purposely i$norin$ me. :"ah3 ell me3; =un$ ,an$ didnt answer. :*es bein$ a d8c'. *e wont answer me.; : hen youre screwed. 0ye%; "oon ae said% han$in$ up. I cursed and then hun$ up. :Fine% if you dont wal' me home. Im $oin$ alone. I dont care about your stupid stal'er3; :Fine% $o3; he shouted. I opened his door and peered my head out before proceedin$ down the hallway% $rowin$ paranoid with e+ery step. 0y the time I $ot to the lobby% I let out a breath% relie+ed to see that there was no one around. his wasnt $ood. I dont li'e the feelin$ of bein$ watched. I was $ettin$ scared sh8tless but I was too stubborn to admit it. I didnt $et ten paces from the buildin$ when I heard footsteps behind me. I forced myself not to loo' and continued on. =ust when I was about to turn a corner% a fi$ure popped up and $rabbed hold of my shoulders% sha'in$ me. I screamed% beatin$ my fists a$ainst his chest. DDie3 Die% you b8tch33D :Huit it. Its me3; he snapped. I opened my eyes to see =un$ ,an$. I was more than $lad to see him. he tears came pourin$ out immediately as I started to cry. =un$ ,an$ pulled me into his embrace and stro'ed the bac' of my head. :Im sorry. Im sorry% I scared you.; It felt $ood to be in his stron$ arms. o be honest% it was +ery comfortin$. 0ut it also felt wron$ because he was stro'in$ my head. I pulled away from him. :"ah3 Im not a do$. Dont stro'e my head.; *e smiled at me. :,orry% I for$ot.; Chp.11- A'"irersB Ha!ers C Figh!ers he ne&t day at school1 I couldnt sit still in my seat. With a pen clamped between my teeth% I 'ept thin'in$ bac' to our little embrace. It bothered me that I had let 2in$2on$0oy hold me in that way. We werent to$ether. 2eople thou$ht we were to$ether. We were playin$ a role. I couldnt belie+e I let him hu$ me. I also couldnt belie+e that I cried in front of him a$ain. B$h. My eyes wandered to the unoccupied chair beside me. =un$ ,an$ was a no show. he chair behind him was also unoccupied% and the chair after that and the one after that too. I loo'ed around to disco+er that I was the only one seated inside the class. Where was e+eryoneA male student came scramblin$ into class to $rab his te&tboo'. I shouted after him. :"ah3 Where are you off to- Is there

no class-; *e loo'ed o+er his shoulder and answered% : heres a fi$ht happenin$ with ?im ae Woo and some new transfer student. Mrs. 5hoi is there too.; No surprise at all. ?im ae Woo fou$ht with e+ery transfer student there was. Normally it would ta'e place beyond the schools $rounds. *owe+er this time% it was different. ?im ,oo =in came pantin$ out of breath as she ran into the room% comin$ to a sudden halt in front of me. :!ee1=i1Won.; ,he $rabbed onto my shirt% sha'in$ me. :"our1cousin1your1cousin.; I could ha+e easily placed two and two to$ether% but at the time% you could say that it wasnt re$isterin$ with me. :What about my cousin-; ,oo =in fanned herself with her hand% thin'in$ she could stop herself from sweatin$. :,ee% this is why I choose not to e&ercise. 9oin$ up a sin$le fli$ht of stairs is e&tremely e&haustin$.; ,oo =in always complained about the same fli$ht of stairs. :9et on with the point.; :!ee "oon ae is fi$htin$ ?im ae Woo.; his new transfer student was my cousin. I wasnt surprised to find that he was challen$in$ ?im ae Woo in a fi$ht. :Whos winnin$-; I as'ed% wonderin$ if my cousin had the ad+anta$e. "oon ae had always been a fi$hter)))a street fi$hter to be e&act. I ha+e ne+er seen him lose to anyone. And then there was ?im ae Woo who cheated at e+erythin$ he does% and I ne+er seen him lose either. All in all% the fi$ht would be unfair. :!oo's li'e ae Woo is winnin$ since hes $ot his $uys on "oon ae too.; :!ets $o%; I said% $rabbin$ onto the front of her shirt% feelin$ my an$er risin$ at the thou$ht of ae Woos unfairness. ))) A lar$e circle of students alon$ with a few teachers $athered around the two fi$ures belon$in$ to ?im ae Woo and !ee "oon ae. All of ae Woos followers were on the $round by the time I pushed my way throu$h the crowd of bodies. "oon ae and ae Woo were still $oin$ at it% swin$in$ their fists% 'ic'in$ their le$s out and all of them stuff people do when they fi$ht. %3hmigod- .e looks e<actly like .ero from D#20-- .e s so hot. Look at the tear in his shirt- It s e<$osing his firm muscles--& "5y gosh. .e has his eyebrow $ierced. 1hat's soo hot." %Who do you think is gonna win( I vote for my o$$a) 0im 1ae Woo-& I rolled my eyes at the $irls and stated aloud% :!EE "##N AE3 , #2 *E FI9* #4 I!! ET2#,E "#B4 ,E54E E@E4"#NE *E4E3; #

"oon ae loo'ed up for a brief second before throwin$ an uppercut at ae Woo. :I ha+e no damn secrets. Im $onna beat this f8c'er down and show him the meanin$ of respect3; *e was ri$ht. *e doesnt ha+e any secrets. I 6ust said that to $et his attention. ae Woo sent a hi$h 'ic' a$ainst the side of "oon aes face% causin$ him to double o+er. :I bet I 'now what that secret is. *es must be $ay.; *e made an attempt $rab at "oon aes shirt% but "oon ae clamped his hands around his wrists% raisin$ his head to as'% :Why because Im $ood)loo'in$-; *e retaliated by 'ic'in$ him full in the $ut% causin$ ae Woo to reel bac' a$ainst the loc'ers. hen he leaped forward% swin$in$ his fist out at ae Woo who duc'ed on time and said% :"es% but Im better loo'in$.;

:If Im $ay% that ma'es you more $ay than I am because youre so much prettier. Im be$innin$ to thin' that this is your way of pic'in$ me up%; "oon ae replied% followed by a sly $rin. I thin' "oon ae was the only $uy who was capable of pullin$ off the $ay 6o'es and still loo' $ood doin$ so. I pushed my way toward him and $rabbed onto his arm. :!ets $o. "ou dont need to fi$ht him. !ea+e it alone.; :,o% =i Won. "ou 'now this f8c'er- Is he your boyfriend- =un$ ,an$ would $et e&tremely upset if he found out%; ae Woo said as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth while standin$ up. :I dont date my own cousins%; I retorted% $rippin$ ti$hter onto "oon aes arm. *e was so tense% I could actually feel his muscles. : his cousin of yours needs a $ood ass 'ic'in$%; came the +oice from o+er my shoulder. ,tandin$ ri$ht behind me was 2ar' =un$ ,an$ who was $larin$ at "oon ae who was smilin$ bac' at him. "oon ae shoo' off his leather 6ac'et. hat $esture $ot the $irls to let out a surprisin$ $asp. :*ow about we settle this here and now% =un$ ,an$.; :With you half)beaten- hat would be unfair% wouldnt it- oo easy of an ad+anta$e on my side. And besides% I dont fi$ht on school $rounds.; *e was spea'in$ of fairness- his was the $uy who went around beatin$ up people because they destroyed his pin$) pon$ rac'et. I loo'ed at ae Woo to "oon ae and finally to =un$ ,an$% reali>in$ what was $oin$ to happen. he truth was% I didnt need to be there to try and put a stop to them. hese three $uys were all fi$hters. And if they wanted to fi$ht% that was their problem. Why was I brin$in$ myself into it,o I wal'ed away. At least I started to wal' away when =un$ ,an$ $rabbed onto my arm and cau$ht up to me. :Where are you $oin$-; :0ac' to class%; I answered him% soundin$ li'e a >ombie. :Why are you e+en here- 9o fi$ht him% if you want. 9o die for all I care.; :"ou must be deaf or somethin$. I said that I dont fi$ht on school $rounds.; : hen $o die. "ou can $o die on school $rounds.; :Do you wanna die-; he as'ed% raisin$ his +oice. :0y your hands- No. I rather 'ill myself.; We entered the classroom to find a bo& of chocolates% alon$ with a bou<uet of red roses sittin$ on top of my des'. I loo'ed at =un$ ,an$. All of my an$er was slowly fadin$ away. :Did you do that-; *is brows furrowed to$ether. :No. Why would I-; Apart of me did hope that =un$ ,an$ had done somethin$ li'e that for me. 0ut then a$ain% were spea'in$ of 2ar' =un$ ,an$ whose heart was much colder than ice itself. For all I 'now% it could be anyone. I smiled happily% li'e a $iddy child recei+in$ $ifts. :2robably from one of my many crushes%; I boasted% $oin$ o+er to smell the roses. And then pluc'ed the folded note that read% =rom your 2ecret /dmirer. I was flusterin$ when I said% :I was ri$ht. It is from one of my secret admirers.; E&halin$ slowly% I added% :=i Won% youre soooo luc'y.; : his asshIle probably wants to $et under your s'irt%; =un$ ,an$ remar'ed% comin$ o+er to $rab at the bo& of chocolates but I snatched it away first. :Dont touch it3; I snapped% while I opened the bo&% selectin$ a heart)shaped chocolate. 0efore I could bite into it% =un$

,an$ slapped it from my hand. :Dont eat it% you dummy.; :Why the hell not-3; I burst. :It mi$ht be poisonous.; I found it ridiculous that =un$ ,an$ would ma'e up somethin$ stupid to $et me not to eat it. :Whate+er% youre 6ust 6ealous. Why would it be poisonous-; I as'ed% $oin$ for another one and ploppin$ it into my mouth when =un$ ,an$ suddenly reached out to $rab my face with both hands% tryin$ to force it out of my mouth. :,pit it out% ri$ht now3; he demanded. :N#3; I said% attemptin$ to chew at it when his fin$ers mana$ed to pry my mouth opened and the ne&t thin$ I 'new% I bit on his fin$ers instead. My head was thrown forward and the piece of chocolate fell out. he moment I raised my head bac' up% =un$ ,an$ already hurled the entire bo& of chocolates across the room. he chocolates flew in all directions% stri'in$ at all the students that were enterin$ the room. I wanted to scream in his face. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to ma'e him pay. It was not often that I $ot e&pensi+e chocolates to eat. ,oo =in cau$ht hers and plopped it in her own mouth. :"ummy3 han's 2in$2on$0oy3; Mrs. 5hoi entered after the students. ,he noticed that e+eryone was still standin$ around% loo'in$ directly at us. :Whats $oin$ on here-; :I thin' =un$ ,an$ is already professin$ his lo+e to his $irlfriend%; one of the female students stated. Mrs. 5hoi shoo' her head sli$htly. :=un$ ,an$% you 'now better%; she warned. =un$ ,an$ i$nored her and sent me a death $lare before $oin$ to his seat. I placed the roses on my des' and sat down my chair while Mrs. 5hoi told the others to sit down. oo an$ry to care% I went bac' to touchin$ my roses 6ust to spite him. When he had about enou$h% he slammed his fist a$ainst the des' and $rabbed the bou<uet of roses from me% sendin$ the petals to flutter to the floor. :"ou dont deser+e these.; With that% he strode o+er to toss them out into the trashcan. I stood up% fumin$ mad while shoutin$% :"ah3 Who are you to tell me I dont deser+e them-3; :=i Won. 2lease lower your +oice%; Mrs. 5hoi said. I i$nored her anyway. :First you threw away my chocolates and now you threw away my flowers3 I hate you% 2ar' =un$ ,an$. 9o die33; I yelled% tossin$ my boo's at him. *e mana$ed to easily dod$e them. urnin$ to face Mrs. 5hoi% he said% :9i+e us a moment.; :Im stayin$. "ou cant force me to $o with you%; I conceded stubbornly% sittin$ bac' down on my chair. 0efore he could say anythin$ more% someone let out a hu$e fart. It was so loudG the entire school could probably hear it. :EWWWW33; e+eryone said in unison as they loo'ed around to see whom it came from. he empty des' in front of me told me who it was. ?im ,oo =in was hidin$ beneath her des'. ,he was holdin$ onto her chair with her chee's flushin$ red in embarrassment. :Dont loo' at me% =i Won. heyre $onna 'now3; she whispered. It was too late. #ne of the $irls stood up and pointed at her. :?IM ,## =IN3 ?IM ,## =IN DID I 3; First it was the sound. And then came the smell. It was so horrible that I nearly $a$$ed. I had to pinch my nose when I spo'e to her. :,oo =in. Did you eat e$$s-;

:No. I told you. Im on a diet. I didnt ha+e anythin$ this mornin$.; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ came o+er to us. :Its that chocolate you 6ust ate.; ,oo =ins loo'ed pu>>led. :"ou mean% I 6ust ate fart chocolate-; *er eyes suddenly widened. :#h sh8t. I $otta run.; ,he scrambled from under the table and headed out the door% ha+in$ e+eryone lau$hin$ after her. =un$ ,an$ flic'ered his $a>e o+er to me. :I $uess this secret admirer of yours wanted to see you $o to the washroom.; I was +ery confused at this point. :I dont $et it- Why would my secret admirer feed me diarrhea chocolates-; :Maybe because this admirer of yours isnt an admirer after all- Maybe this admirer is the same person whos comin$ after me.; I co+ered my mouth the moment I understood why =un$ ,an$ didnt want me to eat the chocolates in the first place. I felt ashamed for bein$ an$ry with him. :"ou sa+ed me from $oin$ to the washroom. han's.; :Whate+er%; he said before returnin$ to his seat. Chp.15- 0he <g#y S!.++orn Horse $Choco#a!es an' rosesB& I muttered under my breath as we e&ited out the front doors of the school. =un$ ,an$ who strode out beside me% $lanced down. :What-; :A $entleman buys his $irlfriend chocolates and roses%; I told him while $lowerin$. :A $entleman is someone youre not.; / gentleman is someone I ll have to turn you into. *is brows drew to$ether. :,o-; :I want to $o shoppin$. !ets $o to Myon$don$.,eoul shoppin$ district/%; I conceded% hoo'in$ an arm throu$h his% dra$$in$ him alon$ with me. ))) : hats a $uys store. Why would you want to $o in there-; =un$ ,an$ as'ed% loo'in$ uninterested. I tu$$ed at his arm. :0ecause were shoppin$ for you. We need to buy you some nice clothes.; *e 6er'ed his arm away from me. :What the hell for-; I reached up and po'ed his forehead with my inde& fin$er. :Duh% for your parents anni+ersary. Dont act li'e a dumb idiot.; *e turned and started to wal' away with his shoulders hunched and hands tuc'ed in his poc'ets. :I dont care about that. Im not $oin$.; :"ah3 Why are you so damn cold- heyre your parents. "our mother $a+e birth to you. hey raised you. Is this how you treat them in return-3; *e turned bac' to face me. :What the f8c' do you 'now% huh-; ,ou can drag a horse to the river) but you can t make him drink. I was $oin$ to chan$e that. I was $oin$ to test how much he was $oin$ to ta'e in until he would burst. :My $osh. If they 'new you were li'e this% they mi$ht as well stran$le you when you were a newborn. ,a+e us all from $oin$ blind from loo'in$ at your face.; :"ou)))D

:"oure a coward3; I taunted him% spittin$ near his feet. :"ou shouldnt ha+e to care3; :I dont $i+e a damn. 0ut your mother as'ed me to help you. When she as'ed me% I was thin'in$%; I paused% thin'in$ of ,oo =ins horse analo$y. :I was thin'in$1how could I possibly chan$e an u$ly stubborn horse into a handsome man-; :What-; :And I thin' I finally $ot my answer. "ou ha+e to feed him salt% ma'e him thirsty and then hell ha+e no choice but drin' and then 6ump into the water so that he could clean his dirty face.; : hat doesnt ma'e any sense.; *e was fallin$ ri$ht into my bait. :*ow can a horse possibly understand a human-; *e too' an an$ry step toward me. I flinched and too' a step bac'ward% co+erin$ my mouth. :My $osh% the horse has a heart too-; 4aisin$ his hand in the air% he shouted% :,*B B233; I pointed at his raised hand. :"ah3 "ou thin' you could crush me with your one of your hoo+es-; *e closed his hand and dropped it to his sideG loo'in$ away when he said% :Dont push it. "oure luc'y youre a $irl. I dont hit $irls.; :9ood. !ets $o inside. 5ome on horsy3; I pretended to throw an ima$inary whip at him. :Not 6ust yet.; I loo'ed o+er my shoulder. :What-; :!ets ma'e a deal.; I couldnt understand what deal there was besides ha+in$ to $ain control o+er him and chan$in$ him into a $entleman. *owe+er% =un$ ,an$ had somethin$ else on his mind. :"ou ha+e to listen to me too. We ha+e to loo' li'e were $ettin$ alon$ as a1as a cou$le.; :What for- *orses and 0arbies dont e&actly mi&.; I could tell he wanted to curse% but he forced himself to say somethin$ else. : o brin$ out my stal'er.; :#h1; I couldnt fi$ure out if it was a $ood or bad 7oh. *e came closer to me until we stood inches apart. *e leaned in closer to whisper softly into my ear. :Do you remember the other ni$ht when I hu$$ed you- he ne&t day% the stal'er brou$ht you those $ifts. It drew the stal'er closer to us.; Ai$oo3 ,o the idiot hu$$ed me because he wanted a confrontation with his cra>ed stal'er% not because he felt sorry for me- I should ha+e 'nown =un$ ,an$ was nowhere softhearted. hat bastard. :,o what then. Does it mean we ha+e to $et close- *ow close-; *e $lanced down in disinterest. :I ha+e no choice.; ,tretchin$ his hands up in the air% he yawned loudly before throwin$ an arm around my shoulder. :!ets do this.; ))) Within the ne&t half)hour so% I waited. It too' some time to con+ince 2in$2on$0oy to $et chan$e. I was $rowin$ impatient with him.

And then a miracle happened. 2ar' =un$ ,an$s head po'ed out from behind the chan$in$ rooms door. :"ah3 Dont lau$h at me.; *e was so self)conscious of himself that he had to warn me. he salesperson had chosen him a simple white button down shirt and a nice pair of blac' slac's. *e came out slowly% loo'in$ uncomfortable. :Dont stare%; he told me. :Ill stare% alri$ht. =ust not at your face.; he clothes fitted him perfectly. Althou$h the shirt wasnt tuc'ed% only half of it was. his was how he worn his uniform% with his shirt half tuc'ed and a bla>er thrown o+er it. :Idiot. 5ome here. !et me help you with it.; For some reason he reminded me of a small child% learnin$ to dress for the first time. *e loo'ed rather fra$ile and ner+ous. *e $a+e me a pu>>led e&pression. :*uh-; I mumbled while $larin$. :5ome here.; *e did. I helped him tuc' his shirt in. :Dont)))=i WonUdont))): And then he bro'e into a fit of lau$hter. :It f8c'in tic'les33; I 6ust stared li'e a dummy% noticin$ the dimpled chee's. *e lau$hed. And I made him lau$h. 0ut damn% why was I findin$ myself $rowin$ more and more attracted to himI $rinned as I ad6usted the collar of shirt. *e offered a smile in return. :"oure a $ood actor% =un$ ,an$. ?eep pretendin$ to en6oy yourself%; I remar'ed. he e&pression immediately washed away. *e cleared his throat. : hat wasnt an act. It tic'led. Dont do that a$ain.; : here. Now all you need is nice tie%; I said% turnin$ him around to face the mirror. *e stared at his own reflection% and I could tell he didnt li'e it. :I dont li'e it.; : hats because were not finished with you yet.; :Were not-; I turned to the salesperson. :Find him a nice tie and well ta'e it.; I spun around to =un$ ,an$% holdin$ out my hand. :Money please.; :What-; :Money. #r card or whate+er. Anythin$ you ha+e.; :"ou brin$ me shoppin$ without any cash on you-; he as'ed incredulously. :"oure a rich 'id. E+ery rich 'id carries a credit card% now pay up.; :No.; :Fine. No 'iss3; :What-3; he salesperson smiled at the both of us. :,hould I lea+e you two alone-; I mumbled under my breath. :Now% now my lo+eable boyfriend. If you dont pay% you wont $et a 'iss.; Finally understandin$ what I meant% =un$ ,an$ went into the chan$e room and returned with a credit card.

When the salesperson left us alone% =un$ ,an$ $rabbed my arm% dra$$in$ me towards the display window. :2ay up.; It was my turn to be surprise. :2ay up for what-; : he 'iss you were tal'in$ about.; :0ut I was 6ust 'iddin$.; :I 'ept my part of deal% now its your turn.; :0ut why should I ha+e to 'iss you-; *e mo+ed away from me. :Fine Ill $o wrin$ that salespersons nec' for my card bac'))): :Fine3; *e came up to me and tapped his ri$ht chee' with his fin$er. :4i$ht here.; I tiptoed and planted a <uic' one. With that% he hu$$ed me ti$htly% 'eepin$ his $a>e out the window. :I really hope this stal'er is watchin$.; :Ac'3 =un$ ,an$% youre holdin$ me too ti$ht33; *e let $o and apolo$i>ed. :,orry.; ))) After that had to dra$ him into the barbershop to $et his haircut. I was astonished by the outcome. With the hair no lon$er co+erin$ his eyes% I reali>ed that 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was indeed a handsome prince. *e did a $ood 6ob at hidin$ his face. 0ut he neednt hide it no more. *e had to show it off instead. "ou could say that I saw the li$ht surroundin$ his presence. *e was someone special. I 'new that then% and I hated myself for not ta'in$ notice of it before. I e&amined his face% liftin$ up his smooth chin with my hand. :*mm1+ery nice. 9ood bone structure% nice nose.; My eyes came to rest on his eyes. hose deep dar' colored eyes actually twin'led. My $osh% there was life in them. #nce I reali>ed I was starin$ too much% I <uic'ly loo'ed somewhere else. :#oh% you ha+e your ears pierced- "ou need to wear a stud or somethin$.; *e slapped my hand away. :Dont touch my face.; :I 6ust did.; *e $rabbed my chin% raisin$ my face up. :"ou li'e that- "ou li'e bein$ touched li'e that-; "ou could say that I was proud at my accomplishment. 0ut you see% I was only half way done. =un$ ,an$ may loo' li'e a handsome prince but he still carried the personality of an u$ly stubborn horse. And of course% to end the day off. ,omethin$ stupid 6ust had to happen. When we wal'ed out to$ether% a paper plane flew in our direction% stri'in$ me in the forehead. I rubbed at my head% bendin$ down to pic' up the paper. =un$ ,an$ snatched it from me first. *e unfolded it and then read it aloud% ""ark Jung 2ang. We'll meet each other real soon. 1ell your girlfriend to be $re$ared." Chp.16- 0he S!a#)er <n?ei#e' $I )ic)e' his assB& "oon ae muttered with his bruised lip as I applied the balm on it. *e $runted and mo+ed his head bac'. :=i Won% dont.;

When I $ot home% I found "oon ae hidin$ in my room)))or at least thats what it loo'ed li'e he due to the fact that my mother was b8tchin$ downstairs. *e sat on the floor a$ainst the bed% tendin$ to his bruises. I sho+ed him on the forehead% feelin$ irritated by his coc'y beha+ior. :"ah3 Who told you to in+ol+e yourself in a fi$ht with that son)of)a)b8tch-; "oon ae rubbed at his lip% and mumbled% :Why do you ha+e to be so $rouchy-; :0ecause of you. "ou werent in school for ten minutes and already youre on suspension. 9osh% I cant belie+e Im related to you.; "oon ae too' hold of my arm and forced me to face him. :=i Won% Im sorry alri$ht. If I $ot you an$ry% Im sorry. And besides% I dont li'e it when you act so damn ri$hteous. Its not li'e you.; I wasnt in the position to lecture him about ri$hteousness because I wasnt your typical $ood $irl either. I almost smiled at his chan$ed of attitude. :,orry- Wow% thats the first.; :=ust dont tell my parents about this.; :9o spea' to my parents about it.; :I spo'e to them already. hey understand. ,o% I dont want you blabberin$ you bi$ mouth for my parents to hear.; :I wont. 0ut theres somethin$ you $otta do for me.; :What is it-; :?eep away from ?im ae Woo and his friends.; *e arched an eyebrow and smir'ed. :Ill try my best.; he ne&t thin$ I 'new% my cell phone ran$. It was a restricted number. "oon ae loo'ed <uestionin$ly at me. :"oure not answerin$ it-; :I thin'1its ,hin *ye Min.; *is eyes widened in surprise. :What- hat internet web!cam whore- What does she ha+e anythin$ to do with you-; :Its a lon$ story%; I answered. *e snatched the phone from my hand and answered it. :*ello-; :No% this isnt !ee =i Won. "oure mista'en.; With that% he hun$ up. *e placed the phone bac' into my hand. :Alri$ht. ell me whats up. Maybe I could help.; I $uess I had no choice but to tell him e+erythin$. 0y the time I was done tellin$ him e+erythin$% he held onto his stomach and threw his head bac'% burstin$ into an immediate lau$hter. I slapped him on the arm. :Its not funny.; :It is. I mean this stal'er thin$ is hilarious too. Who would want to stal' a $uy li'e 2ar' =un$ ,an$-; *e shoo' his head and added% : his psychotic b8tch has really bad taste in $uys% and so does ,hin *ye Min person.; ,hould I feel insulted tooMy phone be$an to chime a$ain. I loo'ed down and shoo' my head. :,he must really hate me. ,hes callin$ a$ain.;

:"ou ha+e a lot of haters% =i Won. 4emember that.; Decidin$ that I was $oin$ to confront her% I e&haled deeply before answerin$ it. :*ello-; here was a lon$ silence before the +oice came on the line. :5ome outside% Im waitin$ for you.; ))) I hid behind "oon ae who led me outside. :Im scared%; I whined% ti$htenin$ my $rip on the bac' of his 6ac'et. :I 'now its the stal'er. *eMshe probably wants me dead.; :Aish3 Huit sha'in$ me% you(re ruinin$ my 6ac'et.; :0ut% Im scared3; I ar$ued. *e spun around and told me to shut it. We strode down the street in silence% loo'in$ around the nei$hborhood% spottin$ no fi$ure in si$ht. My phone be$an to chime a$ain% causin$ both of us to 6ump. I reached for my phone in my ba$ and held it to my ear. :"es-; :Why is the *ero)loo')ali'e with you-; 0ein$ scared% I didnt really pay attention to the sound the +oice before. 0ut thin'in$ about it then% I reali>ed that this stran$er was spea'in$ so softly that it sounded more of a whisper. :Why are you whisperin$ for-; I as'ed. :Are you tryin$ to be funny-; :If youre so tou$h% re+eal yourself%; I challen$ed% feelin$ my heart <uic'enin$. :Fine.; #ut of nowhere% a fi$ure stepped out behind a tree fi+e feet away from us. he fi$ure was cloa'ed% but I could see the lon$ hair pee'in$ out from under the hood. =ud$in$ from the slender silhouette% it had to be a $irl. I tu$$ed furti+ely on "oon aes arm. : hats the stal'er.; :I can see that%; "oon ae said% ta'in$ a darin$ step toward her. :"ah3 What do you want with my cousin- Why are you so fi&ed on stal'in$ a $uy li'e 2ar' =un$ ,an$-; :I want to ruin her pretty face%; came the direct answer. My le$s were startin$ to sha'e from ner+ousness and fear. I felt my whole body leanin$ in a$ainst "oon ae for support. 0ut then I found myself as'in$% :My face- Why% because its pretty-; :"es.; his b8tch was psychotic% but at least she was honest. : han's for the compliment% but)))it still doesnt $i+e you a reason for wantin$ to ruin it.; :Why not-; : hen% shouldnt you be ruinin$ e+ery pretty face there is-; here was no response. I bet this psycho wasnt as scary as he made herself to be. I was $oin$ to test her. If you didnt 'now already% I li'e testin$ people. :"ou need to stop this. "ou dont need to do me any harm. I mean)))I+e done nothin$ to you.;

:"oure datin$ 2ar' =un$ ,an$.; :,o-; *er ne&t tone came out harsher and so much deeper. :I lo+e him more than you e+er will3; "oon ae tilted his head down to whisper to me. D,he sounds funny% doesnt she-; :"ou spea' of lo+e- "oure a damn stal'er so that ma'es you obsessi+e% not in lo+e3; I blurted out. ,he too' a step closer. :I will 'ill you.; Ai$oo. Don't $ush too far) Ji Won. "oon ae stepped in front of me. :With what- It loo's li'e you+e $ot nothin$ on you.; :#ut of the way3; she demanded% char$in$ strai$ht at him with a raised fist. :"oure a $irl)))D "oon aes words bro'e off by the hard punch to his face. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% she had 'ic'ed him down there% forcin$ him on his 'nees. "oon ae too' a sharp inta'e of breath from the unbearable pain. he poor $uy 6ust $ot 'ic'ed in the sensit+e area by a $irl. :,tupid "oon ae% you wea'lin$33; I cried out in disappointment. he hooded $irl loo'ed up and smiled e+illy. At this point% I was afraid and so +ery helpless. I was runnin$ while screamin$ at the top of my lun$s. :*E!2 ME33 ,#ME0#D" *E!2 ME333; I didnt $et +ery far considerin$ that she was holdin$ onto my side ba$ that I had carried on around my shoulder. ,he pulled my head by $rabbin$ a fistful of my hair in her $rasp. :,cream all you want% b8tch3 I hope you cho'e on your own sali+a and die from it33; :#'ay%D I a$reed and then I screamed. DA************************3333; With that% I stomped hard on her toes% forcin$ her to let $o of me. I spun around and $rabbed her hair in return. And then I yan'ed hard on it% only to ha+e it fall off completely. *er hood was also thrown bac'% re+ealin$ the true face of the stal'er. his stal'er was no $irl at all. It was a $uy. A slender $uy% standin$ around CV with a bald head. *e had the prettiest eyes. hey were bi$ with lon$ lashes. And definin$ those eyes were the pluc'ed eyebrows- *is nose was perfectly strai$ht and he had $irl lips. It was no wonder why he sounded so stran$e. 9osh% if it werent for the adams apple and bald head% Id thin' he was definitely a $irl. I $asped% droppin$ the wi$ in the process. I couldnt fi$ure out whether the $asp came from the shoc'in$ disco+ery that he was a $uy or the fact that he was so damn pretty. :My $osh% youre a $uy3; :"es. I am a $uy3; he recited after me. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was ri$ht. *is stal'er was indeed a $uy. 5ould it be- hat =un$ ,an$ suspected him all alon$: hats a $ood thin$%; I pointed out. :Why-; I answered him by 'ic'in$ him down there. : hats why.; *e fell immediately% $aspin$ for breath. :"ou1b8tch3;

,eein$ that he was down% I thou$ht about "oon ae. I spun around% wantin$ to rush to him but instead% I rammed into another body. :"oon ae% you)))D :"oon ae is still cradlin$ his balls%; came the +oice. I raised my head to see 2ar' =un$ ,an$ loo'in$ <uite different than before. *e was wearin$ one of them hoodies% alon$ with a pair of ba$$y 6eans that loo'ed +ery $ood on him% and carryin$ a duffel ba$ across one shoulder. I also noticed that he wore a stud on his left ear% ma'in$ him appear hot and so much se&ier. *is hair was also $elled and styled to suit his own style. 9irl in trouble% and then hot $uy shows up out of nowhere to sa+e her. his was so clichK. :Huit starin$ at me%; he snapped% mo+in$ me to stand behind him. *e approached the fallen $uy and nud$ed him in the ribs with his feet. :Who the f8c' are you-; he $uy raised his head and mouthed out% :=un$ ,an$. Its me. 5hoo ,eun$ Won.; =un$ ,an$s brows furrowed to$ether in <uestion. Bpon reco$nition% he <uic'ly lowered himself to help ,eun$ Won from the $round. :,eun$ Won. What are you doin$ here-; :I wanted to see you.; I didnt li'e the si$ht of it to be honest. I didnt li'e this ,eun$ Won one bit. Mainly because he seems e&tremely psychotic and protecti+e of =un$ ,an$. =un$ ,an$ helped him to stand. :0ut)))I thou$ht you left to the states-; ,eun$ Won crin$ed. :I couldnt lea+e without1without lettin$ you 'now1that I lo+e you.; !o+e- My $osh. I burst out lau$hin$. I heard another person 6oinin$ me. I turned to see "oon ae% throwin$ his head bac' in a fit of lau$hter. :F8c'% the $ay bastard is in lo+e with =un$ ,an$3 his is too $ood3; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was all red from embarrassment. *e released ,eun$ Won in re+ulsion. :"ah3 Are you f8c'in cra>y-; :#b+iously% he is. If he wasnt he wouldnt be here% tellin$ you how much he lo+es you%; "oon ae inter6ected. I turned to $lare at "oon ae to $et him to shut up. ,eun$ Wons eyes welled up in tears. :I couldnt stand the fact that you were $ettin$ close to her. ,o I did all those thin$s to $et your attention.; I lowered my eyes% unable to loo' at him. :,h8t% ,eun$ Won.; =un$ ,an$ said in disbelief% as he turned his bac' on him% 'ic'in$ nothin$ but air. :Im not $ay alri$ht. "ou cant li'e me. *ow could you e+en thin' of li'in$ me-; he tears were flowin$ from ,eun$ Wons eyes when he said% :E+er since you tau$ht me pin$)pon$% I $rew this attachment towards you. he feelin$ $rows stron$er and stron$er e+ery day.; ,o that was the reason why ,eun$ Won had $rown so attached. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ had been a teacher to him and perhaps a friend. hey had shared some oddly sense of bond. And ,eun$ Won had fallen in obsession% not lo+e. :9o% ,eun$ Won. !ea+e%; =un$ ,an$ said% :Dont let me see your face a$ain. 0ecause if I do% I cant $uarantee whatll happen to it.; :.yungnim% please3; ,eun$ Won be$$ed. I wal'ed up to him% placin$ a hand on his shoulder out of pity. :Im sorry that you feel that way. 0ut% if it ma'es you feel any better% =un$ ,an$ and I are not e&actly datin$.;

,eun$ Won swiped my hand aside% followed by a hard slap to my face. 0efore I e+en loo'ed at him a$ain% =un$ ,an$ had already 'ic'ed him down% 'eepin$ him pinned to the $round with a foot on his chest. :"oure as'in$ for it. Apolo$i>e ri$ht now% ,eun$ Won3; "oon ae came up to me% placin$ a tentati+e hand on my face. :=i Won% you o'ay-; :Its only a slap%; I mumbled% in spite of the tears that were $lidin$ from my eyes. I was cryin$ a$ain. "oon ae pulled me close to him% pattin$ my bac'. :Dont cry. It was only a slap.; :*e didnt ha+e to do that% I was only tryin$ to be nice%; I cried some more% wipin$ my nose a$ainst "oon aes shirt. *e pulled away from me% ma'in$ a dis$usted face. :"ah3 Who told you to wipe your snot a$ainst my shirt-3; I didnt answer him while I wiped my eyes with the bac' of my arms. I felt him tu$ at my ba$. :Anyway% lets $o. Im sure =un$ ,an$ could handle it.; I loo'ed o+er my shoulder to see that =un$ ,un$ had crouched beside the fallen ,eun$ Won. *e $lanced once at me% said nothin$ and then helped ,eun$ Won up for the second time before wal'in$ down the opposite direction. I couldn(t help but feel bothered by it. ))) I was awa'ened by the sound of somethin$ stri'in$ a$ainst my window. 4ubbin$ the bac' of my head in annoyance% I sat up and slowly $ot off the bed to loo' out the window. =un$ ,an$ was standin$ there with his hood pulled o+er his head% wa+in$ me down. I pulled a robe o+er my pa6amas and headed downstairs with my Mic'ey Mouse slippers. #nce I was outside% I approached him slowly. :What-; :I came to apolo$i>e for what happened earlier.; :4eally- Why couldnt you do it tomorrow or somethin$-; :I didnt want you to1worry%; he replied inaudibly. :I wasnt worryin$. I was sleepin$ li'e a dead pi$ until you wo'e me up with the)roc's)to)my)window thin$.; :I thou$ht maybe% I should e&plain)))D I 'new the reason why he was there. *e wanted to e&plain e+erythin$ to me. *e 6ust had a hard time openin$ up. I couldnt blame him either because our relationship or whate+er it was we had made thin$s harder for him. :Why should I care about your lo+e history when we dont ha+e anythin$ $oin$ on-; *e raised his +oice. :"ah3 ,top it3; I yawned 6ust to spite him. :,top what-; *e pulled his hood bac'. here it was a$ain. he tu$$in$ in my heart and the weird feelin$ in my stomach e+ery time I loo'ed at him. :Dont act stupid.; :4emember% a 0arbie has no brain. ,o let the 0arbie $et her beauty sleep.; I turned around and added% : he horse should also be on its way.;

:"our face loo's horrible%; he remar'ed% followed by a moc'in$ snort. I rolled my eyes% thin'in$ of his immaturity. :Not as horrible as yours% I hope. 9oodni$ht% =un$ ,an$.; :Wait%; he said% $rabbin$ for my arm. :Why are you so an$ry for-; :I dont 'now. I dont 'now why Im so an$ry% alri$ht%; I told him honestly. :0ecause you were 6ealous.; :Me- =ealous of a $ay $uy that li'es you-; hrou$h the dar'ness% I could see the hint of a smile on his face. :"ou were probably pissed when I wal'ed away with him% instead of comin$ to you. Don(t worry% I didn(t let him rape me or anythin$.; :Whate+er% I dont care.; :"ou say that% but you do care.; I tried tu$$in$ from his $rasp. *e drew me closer. :,ince the horse is $oin$ to be on his way. he horse as's for a $oodni$ht 'iss first.; :Well you can tell the horse to 'iss his own ass $oodni$ht%; I replied bluntly. *e released me% throwin$ his head bac' in lau$hter. :"oure really mad% huh- #h well% I didnt want a 'iss anyway. I was testin$ to see what they say about you was true.; It surprised me to see how $ood of a mood he was in. :4eally- And what do they say about me-; *e smir'ed. : hey say that you li'e to bite.; I raised my fist to stri'e him but he $rabbed it and <uic'ly leaned in to plant a chaste 'iss on the bruised side of my face. :9oodni$ht.; With that% he was wal'ed off into the dar'ness. :!ee =i Won% you are so blushin$%; I told myself while touchin$ my chee's% smilin$ happily as I returned to my room. Chp.19- Big Nose an' his 4ac)e! $Wa#) in 7irs!B& I told =un$ ,an$ who stood behind us. *e wasnt e+en payin$ attentionG he had his eyes fi&ed on his arm as he rubbed at the soreness. hat was all he has been doin$ since I saw him at school. *is arm suffered from somethin$ the pre+ious ni$ht. I didnt really suspect him until then. It probably had somethin$ to do with ,eun$ Won. :Why should I-; he muttered% still inspectin$ his arm as he raise his shirt slee+e hi$her to re+eal a dar' purple bruise. #uch. I suddenly felt sorry for him. Na)Na who held onto my hand% craned her head enou$h to $lare at her uncle. :"oure supposed to be a $entleman and hold the doors for us ladies%; she reminded him. *e $lanced up and commented% :!adies- I only see a child and a $irl.; #n second thou$ht% he deser+es that bruise. I was all but a $irl to him. Nothin$ more than that. he bastard probably for$otten what he had done the pre+ious ni$ht. In fact% I dont thin' he cared. 0ut I did. I cared because I couldn(t stop thin'in$ about it.

Na)Na released my arm and pouted as she stomp one foot a$ainst the $round. :I want my ice)cream% 2ar' =un$ ,an$3; : hen open the door and $o and $et it%; he retorted in a$$ra+ation. I couldnt belie+e the rudeness that was flowin$ from him. It was his own niece and yet he still treated her no differently from anyone else. I finally stepped up to him. :9o and open that door and hold it for us% if you $ot any balls)))you selfish moron%; I scoffed at him. *e 6ust loo'ed at me% and then shouldered me out of the way to $o and hold the door. *e made a $esture of his hand for us to enter. When Na)Na was throu$h% he let $o% ha+in$ the door to slam a$ainst my bac'. I too' a stumble forward% scrapin$ my 'nee in the process. I hated that I had chosen a s'irt to wear on my day off. It too' a moment for me to force down the $rowin$ an$er. With my hands clenched% I stood up wantin$ to curse at him. :"ah3 "ou)))D *e strode ri$ht past me% whistlin$ to himself% actin$ as if he had done nothin$ wron$. he bastard didnt e+en ha+e the ner+e to as' me whether I was o'ay. Na)Na went to choose a booth at the far end of the parlor. I went to sit beside her% and =un$ ,an$ sat across from us. :"oure buyin$%; I chided him. *e 6ust shru$$ed and then answered% :Eat whate+er you want% I dont li'e ice)cream.; :Maybe you should try it. ,o that the sweetness could melt that cold heart of yours%; I murmured <uietly enou$h so that only Na)Na could hear. Na)Na co+ered her mouth and $i$$led. =un$ ,an$ brows furrowed. :What-; :Nothin$.; :Now% let see here. What should I eat.; I turned to Na)Na. :I thin' I want the castle sundae. Na)Na% you in on it-; Na)Na nodded ea$erly. :5an we put strawberries on it too-; I $lanced at =un$ ,an$ who was loo'in$ at me. :#f course%; I replied. :As' for some ice too%; he put in. :Why-; : o stop that swellin$ on the side of your face%; he said% tryin$ to contain his lau$hter. My face wasnt swellin$. =un$ ,an$ was bein$ a 6er'. It was howe+erG still red and it stun$ 6ust a little. ,eun$ Won had slapped me hard enou$h to lea+e an imprint on my chee'. When I had wo'en up that mornin$ and too' a $limpse in the mirror% I screamed at the top of my lun$s. !uc'ily it was our day off of schoolG otherwise Id be mortified to face the students. :Maybe we could also as' for a clea+er so that I could s'in off that e&pression on your face-; I countered in return. *e loo'ed away when he said% DIce)cream shops don(t carry clea+ers% dumbass.D :Whate+er% asshIle.; *e blin'ed twice. DWhat did you call me-; :5an we order now-; Na)Na inter+ened. =un$ ,an$ $rabbed at his ba$ and said% :#rder all you want% Na)Na. Im lea+in$.; :No3; the both of us blurted at the same time.

*e paused to loo' at her. :Why not- "ou 'now I $ot pin$)pon$ practice.; Na)Na pouted. DWhy should you ha+e to practice pin$)pon$ when you(re already $ood at it-D It was my turn to loo' away when I murmured% D0ecause maybe he(s not all that $reat as he ma'es himself to be.D D"ah3 Doesn(t your mouth e+er stop-D he <uestioned. DNot until yours does%D I replied% stic'in$ my ton$ue at him. *e be$an to mo+e away. :"oure payin$%; I added% wantin$ to stall him. *e reached into his poc'et and fished out some bills. : here% satisfied- I $otta run.; =ust as =un$ ,an$ stood up% three $uys entered the parlor% spottin$ him. he $uy in the middle who was wearin$ a cap to the side% shouted out% :"ah3 =un$ ,an$. What the f8c' you doin in here- We were waitin$ on your ass.; =ud$in$ from their sportswear% these $uys were probably his sports buddies. :Im comin$%; he said% $lancin$ at us one last time before 6oinin$ them. #ne of the patted him on the shoulder. :,h8t% =un$ ,an$. What the hell you do to your hair- Whoa% I ne+er reali>ed that you were this $ood)loo'in$ man.; he $uy recei+ed a hard slap to the bac' of his head. Na)Na and I loo'ed at each other. ,he raised her brows mischie+ously. :Wanna see how he plays-; ))) ,o yeah% it was wron$ for us to follow him% but I 6ust couldnt stop myself. "ou can(t blame a person for bein$ curious. Na) Na was lic'in$ her ice)cream as we stood with our bac' pressed a$ainst the side of an abandoned buildin$. I peered o+er the side to see that =un$ ,an$ had 6oined some other $uys. And then they entered the buildin$. : hey went in% Na)Na%; I told her as $ripped her arm. :Why are they actin$ so suspicious-; : hats because theyre playin$ for money.; Why should =un$ ha+e to play for money- It didnt ma'e any sense. :,o% its li'e that% huh-; ,he didnt answer me% instead she said% :!ets $o closer% =i Won.; We went o+er to stand at the entrance% ma'in$ sure that we were out of their line of +ision. I peered in to see that =un$ ,an$ was stretchin$ his arm% mo+in$ it in a circular motion as he stood opposite of his opponent who was e&aminin$ his pin$)pon$ rac'et. :Na)Na% whats wron$ with his arm-; :*es been hurtin$ li'e that since last ni$ht. I dont 'now what happened but I thin' he mi$ht+e $ot into a brawl or somethin$.; I wondered if it had anythin$ to do with ,eun$ Won. :Will he be able to play li'e that-; :I dont 'now. !ets hope he doesnt ma'e it worst.; *is opponent% who was a fairly bi$ $uy with a bi$ nose% raised his pin$)pon$ rac'et to show =un$ ,an$. :Ill $o with this.; =un$ ,an$ inclined his head in appro+al. :Fine with me.;

0i$ nose chuc'led. :"ou were sweatin$ last ni$ht% =un$ ,an$. I $uess% youre startin$ to lose your touch. *ows your arm by the way-; =un$ ,an$ went o+er to pull out his own rac'et. :My arm is my arm. It has nothin$ to do with you.; hat caused 0i$ nose to lau$h a$ain. his time 0i$ nose let out a bi$ snort. :#nce this is all o+er% youll ha+e no use for it. *ahahaha3; :Well see about that%; =un$ ,an$ said as he cau$ht the ball that one of his buddies had tossed at him. :Are you ready-; 0i$ nose mo+ed to stand in an aw'ward stance with his one 'nee in the air and his rac'et held out in front of him. :Always.; Na)Na $i$$led% finishin$ off her ice)cream. ,he had ice)cream all around her mouth. DIt loo's li'e he(s $ettin$ ready to fart.D DIt does% doesn(t it-D =un$ ,an$ bounced his ball three times before tossin$ it hi$h in the air to ser+e it. Na)Na tu$$ed on my arm. :=un$ ,an$ will 'ill him% 6ust watch%; she bra$$ed. 0i$ nose didnt e+en mo+ed from his position% the ball bounced once and reflected off his rac'et. =un$ ,an$ returned it with a hard counter)stri'e% forcin$ 0i$ nose to brea' his stance. 0ac' and forth% the two e&chan$ed stri'es at each other li'e two competiti+e s'ill players. I was +ery impressed with their speed and a$ility. I was e+en more surprised to see that =un$ ,an$ ne+er remained still. *is feet was always mo+in$ and he 'new how to counter e+ery shot. At this point% his opponent be$an to brea' a sweat. DIt loo's li'e he(s constipated% doesn(t it% =i Won-D Na)Na whispered. I had to cho'e bac' a lau$h. hey were still $oin$ at it% when finally =un$ ,an$ 6umped up and $a+e 0i$ nose a $ood one. 0i$ nose had e&pected a fast stri'e% and swun$ his rac'et a tad too early. he ball ended up hittin$ him s<uare in the nose instead. =un$ ,an$ smiled in +ictory. : he $ame is finished.; 0i$ nose slammed his rac'et down and pointed accusin$ly at =un$ ,an$. :Im not done with you% =un$ ,an$.; :0ut I am done with you%; =un$ ,an$ conceded as he used the end of his white polo shirt to wipe his rac'et clean. :And you 'now what% I didnt e+en brea' a sweat.; *is buddies who were watchin$ on the sidelines% cheered $leefully. 0i$ nose let out another snorty lau$hter. :!i'e I said% your arm would be useless once this is all o+er.; he ne&t thin$ I 'new% someone had sho+ed me forward. I too' another stumble% scrapin$ my 'nee once a$ain. I wanted to scream in frustration. Ill tell you one thin$ thou$h. here is ne+er a dull moment when youre around 2in$2on$0oy. Na)Na wrapped her arm around my shoulder. :=i Won% were in trouble.; I turned bac' to see fi+e $uys standin$ with their arms folded in front of their chests. :Who are you-; one of them as'ed me. Na)Na rushed toward her uncle. :=un$ ,an$. Are you $onna beat them up- hey made =i Won scrape her 'nee. ,he(s bleedin$3;

=un$ ,an$ $lared at me from under his furrowed brows. :"ah3 Who told you to follow me-; Na)Na mouthed somethin$ and shoo' her head at me. I came up with a lie while pushin$ to stand. :I was 6ust curious. I wanted to see you play% thats all.; :If I didnt in+ite you to come alon$% then dont come.; :Well% well% well. If it isnt the beautiful Lee Ji Won. What do you ha+e to offer =un$ ,an$ that you ha+ent already offered to us-; 0i$ nose inter6ected. *is people lau$hed alon$ with him. I curled my fin$ers% bit hard on my lower lip to pre+ent myself from sayin$ somethin$ stupid. I didnt e+en 'now idiot and yet he claims he 'nows me. 9osh% my reputation 6ust $ets worse e+ery time. Ne&t thin$ I 'new% a rac'et flew in his direction% stri'in$ him s<uare in the face. *e howled as he went down. #nly a person li'e =un$ ,an$ is capable of catchin$ someone une&pectedly. =un$ ,an$ was already up on the table% leapin$ down to attac' 0i$ nose. *is friends were also char$in$ toward the $uys behind me and started to attac' them too. A bi$ fi$ht ensued. Na)Na came runnin$ towards me. :=i Won. Are you o'ay-; :I thin' so%; I muttered% sittin$ up with my head spinnin$. More $uys ran into the buildin$ and started to help =un$ ,an$s buddies. ?im ae Woo wal'ed in with his hands tuc'ed inside his poc'et and a ci$arette dan$lin$ from between his lips. *e wore one of them collared shirts with a sweater o+er top. *is strea'ed hair was styled up and his eyes were co+ered with a pair of shades. I had to admit% ae Woo is pretty damn stylish. *e approached me with his hand e&tended toward me. :Are you o'ay-; I brushed the dirt from my 'nees and stood up without his help. 0ut then I 6ust had to stumble and ?im ae Woo 6ust had to catch me around the waist. he unlit ci$arette fell from his lips as he stared down at me. :=i Won1; :?im ae Woo3 !et her $o333; Na)Na screamed so loud that forced e+eryone to stop what they were doin$. =un$ ,an$ 'ic'ed 0i$ nose one last time before he came to pull me away from ae Woos $rasp. *e $lared murderously at his friend. I+e ne+er seen this side of him before. Not towards his own friend. DWho told you to come- I didnt as' for your help.; :*eard you were finishin$ the $ame. hou$ht Id drop by%; ae Woo replied calmly. :Were fine. Im fine. han's for your concern. Im done.; With that% he drew me alon$ with him% also ta'in$ hold of Na) Nas hand. #nce we were outside% =un$ ,an$ released his hold on us. :9o home% =i Won. Ill ta'e Na)Na home. From now on% if you dra$ my niece with you% youre $one. 9ot that-; Na)Na tried to e&plain. :0ut =un$ ,an$. It wasnt )))D :,hut up% Na)Na3; he e&ploded on her. Na)Na 'ic'ed his shin and ran off. I watched him hop on one foot and then I decided to 'ic' his other shin. :9ood $oin$% you dumbass.; Chp.1>- Behin' !he si#ence So !here ;e ;ere againB seated inside the ice)cream parlor% watchin$ Na)Na eat her strawberry ice cream. =un$ ,an$ hasnt spo'en a word since we $ot there. *e had his one elbow propped on the table% supportin$ his chin as he sat starin$ $lumly at his niece.

:Na)Na% you cant 'eep doin$ this%; I chided her. Na)Na lic'ed her lips% smiled and then as'ed% :Why not- heres nothin$ wron$ with eatin$ ice cream.; I loo'ed at =un$ ,an$% e&pectin$ some 'ind of further e&planation. *owe+er% he 6ust sat there% archin$ his brows in <uestion. here was nothin$ wron$ with her eatin$ ice cream. It was the fact that she 'eeps runnin$ away. And as her babysitter% I had to say somethin$. :No% there isnt but you cant 'eep)))D ,he cut me off. :I only eat ice cream because it ma'es me happy.; Feelin$ hopeless% I leaned forward% propped my elbows on the table to rest my chin on it as I stared at =un$ ,an$ who sat still as a roc'. :Its all your fault.; *e turned his face to loo' at me. :What- "ou e&pect some 'ind of apolo$y-; al' about attitude. Must wor' on that too. Na)Na cut in. :An e&planation would be nice.; I turned to loo' at her% unblin'in$. ,ometimes I do for$et that she was 6ust a child. =un$ ,an$ leaned bac' and e&haled slowly% nearly crin$in$ from the pain in his arm. I could tell that he was tryin$ hard to conceal it. : hose bastards play under$round pin$)pon$. Its li'e street pin$)pon$. hats why I was there.; hat pea'ed my interest. :What- heres such a thin$ as street pin$)pon$- What do they do- 0eat each other in the head with their pin$)pon$ rac'ets-; :It in+ol+es money and its much more ris'y. 2eople places bets and so forth%; he e&plained. :I dont in+ol+e myself in such thin$s. 0ut for%; he paused% lowerin$ his eyes% :but for ,eun$ Won% I a$reed to step into his place.; 5hoo ,eun$ Won played street pin$)pon$- he $ay $uy played street pin$)pon$- And 2ar' =un$ ,an$ had a$reed to help him:Whos ,eun$ Won-; Na)Na in<uired. :"ou dont want to 'now%; I told her. ,he made a face at me. =un$ ,an$ continued. :,eun$ Won $otten himself in+ol+ed with those people and the fat pun' has a reputation for bein$ the 0ing of under$round pin$)pon$. *es the only person ,eun$ Won has ne+er challen$ed% until now.; :,eun$ Wons that $ood-; I as'ed. :*e ne+er told me that he did all of this% until last ni$ht.; I braced myself for his further e&planation. :"esterday% after the confrontation he had with you% they came after him because he had lost the first round the pre+ious day before. And when you lose one round% you owe them somethin$ in return. It could be anythin$. Whate+er they command% you ha+e to $i+e it to them because its apart of the rules.; :Why couldnt they 6ust end the $ame in one day-; :When you lose one round)))the $uy that loses decides whether or not he would follow throu$h the rest of the $ame or continue it the ne&t day. Bsually the $uy loses the first round% waits until the ne&t day to contemplate o+er his ne&t mo+e. hat is what ,eun$ Won did.; :And what did they as' of him when he lost the first round-;

: hey wanted to brea' his one arm.; My eyes automatically went to his bruised arm. :Dont tell me)))D :I did.; :Why-; :I couldnt watch him suffer because I 'new he was no match for that lard face.; I couldnt belie+e that =un$ ,an$ let them brea' his arm when they could+e bro'en ,eun$ Wons arm instead. hat made me an$ry and upset at the same time. *e ris'ed his arm for ,eun$ Won. I thin' that was the most touchin$ thin$ =un$ ,an$ has e+er done for anyone. I reali>ed I didnt $et half as much% compared to ,eun$ WonG that luc'y bastard. I was snifflin$ at this point% tryin$ to force my tears bac' down and mumblin$ nonsense. :Why did you ha+e to $o and do that for-; *e scolded me. :Whats wron$ with you- Why are you cryin$ a$ain-; :,o they bro'e your arm-3 With what-33; Na)Na as'ed% raisin$ her +oice in an$er% ma'in$ me 6ump. =un$ ,an$ hesitated to answer. :It was1nothin$ too1; ,he shot him a +enomous loo'. :What was it-3; :A metal bat%; he answered <uic'ly as if he was afraid of what she mi$ht do to him. he ice cream cone that she was holdin$ onto was suddenly crushed in between her palm% drippin$ and spillin$ onto the table% creatin$ a mess all o+er. hen she be$an to pound her fists a$ainst the table while stompin$ her feet a$ainst the floor. :W*" DIDN "#B E!! ME *E 4B *% 2A4? =BN9 ,AN9-3 W*" DIDN "#B !E ME ?N#W333; I reali>ed that it was $oin$ to be li'e the band)aid incident. ,he was o+erreactin$ a$ain. I had to do somethin$ <uic'. 4ememberin$ that ice cream made her happy% I stood up% shoutin$ out% :I5E 54EAM. M#4E , 4AW0E444" I5E 54EAM F#4 NA)NA33; E+eryone stopped to stare. =un$ ,an$ stood up to force me bac' down on my seat. :"ou dummy. Whats ice cream $onna do-3; Na)Na was bawlin$ her eyes out at that point. I panic'ed% throwin$ both my arms around her% holdin$ her close to my chest. :Na)Na% sweety. 5alm down. Its o'ay. 5alm down. 4emember% =un$ ,an$ made them pay for what they did. "our uncle wiped them all out% remember-; D"eah% and they hurt my ri$ht arm. I(m left)handed remember- hat(s how I beat him. I(m $onna be o'ay. I(ll $o to see the doctor ri$ht after this.D *ow come I didn(t 'now this- =un$ ,an$ a lefty,he calmed down a bit but she was still cryin$. Automatically% my hand went to stro'e her hair. hen I felt cold stic'iness on my hand. It was from Na)Nas ice cream. I $lared at her uncle who was scratched the bac' of his head in irritation and blurted out% :Na)Na. Ill $i+e you a pi$$ybac' ride-; 9osh% could he be anymore comfortin$ and stupidNa)Na turned her face to meet him with an infuriatin$ e&pression. :"our arm is bro'en. *ow are you supposed to $i+e me

a pi$$ybac' ride-3; *e loo'ed at me and said% :=i Won will.; My eyes widened instantaneously. :What-3; Na)Na raised her head to loo' at me with her puppy do$ eyes and tear)stained chee's. It was the cutest pleadin$ loo' I+e e+er seen on a 'id and I $a+e in unwillin$ly. :Eh% I thin' I will%; I a$reed reluctantly. ))) ,he was bac' to herself when we left the place. ,he lau$hed because she was on my bac'. My poor hair was stic'y from the ice cream that had been all o+er Na)Na. At that point% I loo'ed li'e a mess% from ,eun$ Wons imprint on my chee' to my scraped 'nees to my stic'y hair and my tired droopin$ shoulders. Na)Na was small but her wei$ht held me down. I felt my le$s feelin$ hea+ier and hea+ier with e+ery step. :=i Won% you o'ay- "oure slow li'e a slu$%; =un$ ,an$ moc'ed. :Well apparently% one of the horses le$s is bro'en so Na)Na will ha+e to stic' with the slu$%; I retorted bitterly. Na)Na leaned in and $a+e my nec' a s<uee>e. :I li'e slu$s better than horses anyway.; hat remar' didnt ma'e me feel any better. I stopped to ta'e a deep breath% feelin$ the beads of sweat be$innin$ to tric'le down my forehead% and my head spun momentarily. :My $osh% Im sweatin$% Na)Na.; /nd I m f*ckin tired) you cra>y little brat--- I wanted to scream out. here was only one person to blame for this. hat stupid 2in$2on$0oy. When I turned to loo' at =un$ ,an$% he was $one. =ust li'e that. *e had somehow ma$ically +anished% lea+in$ Na)Na on my bac'. :Where do you thin' he went% Na)Na-; :I dont 'now. 0ut lets $o home. 5mon% =i Won. hree more bloc's to $o33; ))) I wa+ed Na)Na behind the $ates and she blew me 'isses in return. When I stood there% watchin$ her% I came to a few new disco+eries. hat I li'ed her li'e a youn$er sister% and that =un$ ,an$ mi$ht be lyin$ about his uncle and niece relation because she was way too old to be his niece. I remember Mrs. 2ar' mentionin$ that it was $oin$ to be her and her husbands NIth year weddin$ anni+ersary. hen that would mean that =un$ ,an$s older sister had to be EI years old when she had Na)Na. And that of course% wasnt the case. It was either Na)Na was adopted and been brainwashed into thin'in$ that she was his niece or there was some other stran$e relation to them that was beyond my comprehension. he 2ar' family was one bi$ mystery. When I turned to $o% I saw =un$ ,an$ standin$ ten feet away from me with his ri$ht arm in a cast. Id e&pected him to say somethin$ alon$ the lines of What you lookin at) dummy or Don t stare but he 6ust loo'ed at me in silence as if he was sendin$ a hidden messa$e with his piercin$ eyes. hey say% it doesnt happen in real life% but at that moment% I felt my heart s'ip a beat because of him. *e opened his mouth to spea'. :!ee =i Won1; I found my mouth answerin$ him in return. :"es-; :Mo+e.;

I blin'ed twice. :What-; :Mo+e out of)))D 0efore he could finish his sentence% I felt somethin$ fall upon my head. It felt li'e a bi$ fat raindrop. hic' and wet. I didnt ha+e to touch it to fi$ure out what it was. 0ird droppin$s. I s<uealed in dis$ust% stompin$ my one feet a$ainst the $round the way Na)Na had done. :I hate this33 I f8c'in hate this33; =un$ ,an$ came up to me% loo'in$ serious while runnin$ his eyes up and down. For a moment% I thou$ht he cared% or perhaps be a tad)bit concern. 0ut I was wron$ a$ain. Immediately% he burst out lau$hin$ as he pointed at my head. :*ahaha% =i Won. Do you wanna 'now the color of it-; I couldnt allow him to lau$h at me that way so I forced myself to touch the bird droppin$ and wiped it a$ainst the side of his face% cuttin$ off his lau$hter. *ow lo+ely. 9reen and white bird droppin$. It loo'ed li'e paint on his face. :"A*3; he yelled in an$er. :Its not so funny now% is it-; I said% tu$$in$ at the end of his shirt to wipe my hand on it. :"A*3; he yelled a$ain% thin'in$ I was $oin$ to do somethin$ about it. I pretended to lau$h e+en if I didnt find it funny. I only wanted to piss him off because I was pissed off myself. urnin$ to wal' away slowly% I said% :*a+e a nice day% =un$ ,an$ o$$a. Ill see you tomorrow. 4emember wear the clothes we bou$ht. ry not actin$ li'e the u$ly stubborn horse that you are% o'ay-; I smiled to myself li'e an idiot. :"A*3; he called one last time. What came out of his mouth ne&t was somethin$ I had ne+er e&pected% forcin$ me to stop wal'in$. :Im sorry that I lau$hed. And Im sorry about what happened earlier.; I was still smilin$ at this pointG li'in$ the fact that 2ar' =un$ ,an$ actually 'new how to apolo$i>e for real. :Im sorry for e+erythin$. I 'now I(m a 6er'. 0ut thats how I am. I choose to be rude whene+er I feel li'e it. I ha+e many flaws. 5ountless of them. 0ut that ma'es me human% not some horse as you call it. "ou can choose to accept me or not. I dont care.; :"ou do care% otherwise you wouldnt ha+e brou$ht it up%; I pointed out% turnin$ bac' to face him% feelin$ my chee's flushin$. I saw a hint of a smile and the dimples startin$ to form on his chee's. If I didnt 'now any better% 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was blushin$ too. It was weird% seein$ him blush with bird plop stuc' to the side of his face. :Im lea+in$. Its $onna $et dar' soon%; I said% feelin$ $iddy inside. :#ne more thin$ before you $o%; he said. :What is it-; *e stuc' his arm out. In a way% =un$ ,an$ was still a child at heart. A child who en6oyed playin$ and fi$htin$. :,i$n my cast first.; I wal'ed up to him as he brou$ht out a blue mar'er from his bac' poc'et with his free arm. I too' hold of his arm $ently and be$an to write on it. When I was done% I $a+e him bac' the mar'er and raised my head to loo' him in the eyes%

noticin$ that he was starin$ down at me in return. : han's%; he murmured% before readin$ what I wrote. *e read it aloud% :4eco+er <uic'ly% 2in$2on$0oy% from ?orean2rincess.; :Ill see you tomorrow%; I told him. :"eah. 5ome early thou$h. I need1I need you to help me with my tie1and more importantly my shirt.; Ai$oo3 *is shirt- Does that mean I $et to see 2in$2on$0oy shirtless*mm% well 6ust ha+e to wait and see how the story continues. :N= o7 PA40 1 -- FI4S0 HALF PA40 * -- S:CON= HALF

Chp.*0- Mr. Nice D.y IE## a#;ays re"e"+er !ha! 'ay so c#ear#y. I can ne+er for$et that e&pression on his face. It was somethin$ alon$ the lines of acceptance. Whate+er $rud$es we held a$ainst each other% it was washed away in that moment of silence when we had loo'ed in each others eyes and came to some 'ind of understandin$. 2icture 2ar' =un$ ,an$ standin$ with a hint of smile upon his bird)pooped face. And now picture !ee =i Won% loo'in$ her worst% tryin$ to smile throu$h her dis$ust and an$st% add the spar'les of attraction into our eyes and poof3 here you ha+e it fol's% the start of a new relationship. 0ut lets $et bac' to this anni+ersary party. My father was in+ited so he was $oin$. My mother disli'ed parties and decided she wasnt $oin$. hat led =in *yun$ to be$ my father to let him ta$ alon$. It was O:WC. he party was startin$ at P:II. =un$ ,an$ wanted me to be there at his house an hour early. I was $ettin$ stressed because I reali>ed I had nothin$ suitable to wear. My mother was in my room% $oin$ throu$h my closet% ha+in$ this cra>y notion in her head that I would actually like what she was $oin$ to pic' out for me. :"ou neednt buy anythin$ new. "ou ha+e a closet full of clothes. I dont see why you always ha+e to $o out and buy new ones all the time. What about this one-; she su$$ested% ta'in$ out a colorful flower printed summer dress that she had bou$ht for me a year a$o that still hadnt been worn because it was out of style. I ne+er wear anythin$ my mother chose for me. I+e always chosen my own clothes. When I was a child% I went shoppin$ with my father because I $ot to choose my own clothes. My mother 'new nothin$ of fashion. It was my father who scolded her all the time for sense of fashion. ,he was still stuc' in a different era. he reason why she wasnt $oin$ was because my father was too embarrassed to be seen with her. I loo'ed at her throu$h the reflection of the mirror. :Ewww. No%; I said% remo+in$ the rollers from my hair. I decided that I would $o curly for the ni$ht. Another thin$% I spent most of the time on my hair and my face because I 'new I wasnt $oin$ to li'e what I was $oin$ to wear. I had been so fi&ed on wor'in$ on =un$ ,an$ that I for$otten to shop for myself. :Whats wron$ with it-; my mother as'ed me. :If you find nothin$ wron$ with it% then you wear it. I dont li'e it. Im not wearin$ anythin$ you su$$est% umma. 2eople will thin' Im dressed for some 'ind of circus or somethin$%; I whined% $oin$ o+er to my bed and plopped myself down utter distress. My phone be$an to chime. I reached for it and answered% :*ello.; :"ah3 "ou ha+e half an hour to $et here. What are you doin$- I+e been waitin$ fore+er.;

It was nice to hear his +oice a$ain. It had only been yesterday since I last heard it. *ow come Im feelin$ all bubbly insideI loo'ed at the time. It read O:OI. I wasnt late. :"ah3 Are you there-; *is +oice drew me bac'. :"es. "es% Im here. Bhm)))Ill be there soon.; :Dont waste your time in tryin$ to loo' pretty. 4emember% this isnt your party% so hurry up.; It felt li'e a foot to the face. =un$ ,an$ sure 'new how to ma'e me feel miserable. I had hoped or at least thou$ht =un$ ,an$ would spea' nicely to me% but I was wron$ to e&pect anythin$ out of him. 9o fi$ure. When he hun$ up% I loo'ed to my mother who was still holdin$ out that u$ly dress in front of her% tryin$ to detect a problem with it. :#'ay. Ill wear it%; I concluded. ))) Na)Na loo'ed up at me when I arri+ed in the front steps of the house. :"our hair loo's nice.; hat was all I was $oin$ to $et. ?osh) Lee Ji Won. 1he things you would risk *ust for him. Does that make you e<tremely stu$id and unselfish( Na)Na% on the other hand had her hair in pi$tails and she was wearin$ an adorable pin' baby doll dress% ma'in$ her loo' li'e some 'ind of an$el. I too' her hand as she led me inside the house where we were $reeted by =un$ ,an$s parents. hey were both dressed in white% loo'in$ li'e a perfect couple. Mrs. Im was the first to spea'. :=i Won% youre early.; ,he loo'ed at me from head to toe and said% :I1lo+e the hair. Dont you a$ree% darlin$-; she turned to as' her husband. :"es. he hair is pretty%; he a$reed with his eyes solely on my dress. I couldnt blame him for starin$. he dress was indeed eye)catchin$ in an u$ly sense. 0ut li'e =un$ ,an$ had stated% this wasnt my partyG I shouldnt ha+e to try and loo' pretty. Na)Na sensin$ my embarrassment% inter6ected% :We ha+e to $o help =un$ ,an$ into his clothes. hats why =i Won is here early.; 0efore I had time to correct her% she was already dra$$in$ me up the fli$ht of stairs towards =un$ ,an$s room% whose door was left wide opened. We wal'ed in to find that =un$ ,an$ already dress% ad6ustin$ his tie li'e a man in front of the mirror. I had to blin' twice 6ust to ma'e sure that I hadnt mista'en him for some handsome stran$er. My breath cau$ht in my throat. With his dar' hair $elled and styled% his clothes worn perfectly% and his diamond studs $limmerin$ a$ainst the li$ht% =un$ ,an$% bein$ the u$ly horse that he was% had transformed himself into a well)$roomed horse. And he did it on his own. I should ha+e applauded him then. *owe+er% somewhere deep inside of me I reali>ed that I wouldnt ha+e that chance to see him shirtless because he had somehow mana$ed to dress himself properly. *ow disappointin$. hin'in$ deeply into% I reali>ed that =un$ ,an$ mi$ht ha+e pretended to be completely i$norant when it came to dressin$ up. hen why did he rush me o+er forMerely $lancin$ up at us% he said% :"ou were late. ,o I was left with no choice%; he stated mee'ly. I had my answer. ,o% yeah. No shirtless =un$ ,an$.

:Na)Na% could you lea+e us alone for a few minutes and shut the door after you%; he said to his niece as he turned to re$ard her 'indly. :"es% sir%; she replied% bowin$ in response. With that% Na)Na win'ed at me before lea+in$ me alone in the room with her uncle. *e $rabbed my arm before I could ta'e a breath% dra$$in$ me into his wal')in closet and sho+in$ me li$htly inside. :If you li'e it% wear it%; was all he said before shuttin$ the doors behind me. I spun around% ban$in$ on the closet doors with my fists. :"ah3 What the hell do you thin' youre doin$-3 : here was no answer from the other side. I 'ic'ed the door in frustration. :"ou idiot. What are you $oin$ to achie+e by loc'in$ me in here-3; ,till there was no response. I turned around in the opposite direction to see somethin$ I ne+er thou$ht Id see han$in$ in =un$ ,an$s closet. A dress. here% han$in$ in front of me was a strapless champa$ne colored dress with a ribbon bow at the waist. When I touched it% I reali>ed that it was actually sil'% with pearl beadin$s all o+er. here was also matchin$ shoes to $o with it. I nearly cried because I 'new it was e&pensi+e and because it was so pretty and mainly because =un$ ,an$ had lied to me about helpin$ him chan$e when in fact% he wanted to surprise me with the dress. :2A4? =BN9 ,AN933; I yelled loudly. he doors opened% and =un$ ,an$ po'ed his head in. *e frowned. :What- Dont tell me you hate it.; I whirled around and rushed at him% throwin$ both my arms around his nec'. :I !#@E "#B33; I felt his arm slowly $oin$ around me. :I dont understand% =i Won.; For$ettin$ that it was =un$ ,an$ I was hu$$in$ and =un$ ,an$ that I was sayin$ 4I love you too% I <uic'ly drew bac' in embarrassment. : han' you.; *e $rinned. :=ust ta'e as a repayment for carryin$ Na)Na home on your bac'.; I <uic'ly lowered my eyes% thin'in$ I could hide my flusterin$ chee's. :#'ay.; :Im $onna lea+e you to chan$e then. 5ome down when youre ready. My parents want you to 6oin in our photo$raphy session.; I nodded e&citedly. :#'ay.; When he left% my le$ twitched% 'ic'in$ at the door with a ban$. :Dont $et too e&cited. he party hasnt e+en started%; I had to remind myself. ))) :#ne% two and three3; the photo$rapher shouted% ta'in$ a shot of =un$ ,an$% Na)Na and myself. It was 'ind of aw'ward and difficult% 'nowin$ that his parents were watchin$ us closely. :Na)Na% sweety. 5ome here. Were $onna let the photo$rapher ta'e a picture of =un$ ,an$ and =i Won to$ether%; Mrs.Im su$$ested. he photo$rapher wal'ed up to us% eyein$ us bac' and forth. D"ou two li'e each other-D D"es%D we answered in unison.

:"ou two act li'e siblin$s rather than a couple. ,tand closer. *old each other li'e you lo+e each other. Alri$ht-; =un$ ,an$ was the first to ar$ue. :Its a picture. =ust ta'e it. "ou dont need to be difficult about it.; Bh oh. he attitude was startin$ to show. he photo$rapher was ta'en abac' by his retort. :A picture isn(t a picture% if you aren(t willin$ to ma'e it a picture.D =un$ ,an$ too' a defiant step toward the man who suddenly cowered bac' a step. D hat(s your 6ob% isn(t it- o ma'e it a picture-D I had to <uic'ly cut in. :Well do it% but how do you want us to do this-; *e loo'ed at =un$ ,an$ who $lared at him in return. :5ould you place your left arm around her waist and hold her close. And you%; he paused% switchin$ his $a>e bac' to me% :I want you to place your arm around him and lean into his shoulder a bit while he tilts his head in toward you.; It too' a lot of mo+in$ around and chidin$s from the photo$rapher to finally $et the perfect shot. My heartbeat was poundin$ way too fast. All because we were standin$ so close. =un$ ,an$ sensin$ my discomfort mumbled% :Dont worry% once this is o+er% Ill dra$ him by the collar of his shirt and beat the li+in$ sh8t outta him for ma'in$ us do this.; : hen I $uess% youre $onna ha+e to beat your parents too% for orderin$ the photo$rapher to do this%; I mumbled bac'. :Dont $et smart with me%; he countered. :,MI!E33; the photo$rapher shouted at us. #nce that was all o+er% =un$ ,an$ bro'e away and turned his bac' on me. If I didnt 'now any better% he was cursin$. :,h8t3; Alri$ht% so he was cursin$. It was loud enou$h to catch e+eryones attention. Mrs. Im loo'ed to her son shoc'in$ly and then settled her $a>e onto me% e&pectin$ me to do somethin$. I smiled% tryin$ to show her that Ill fi& it. I went up to him. :Whats wron$-; :My f8c'in$ arm is whats wron$%; he murmured <uietly in pain. : hat bastard of a photo$rapher)))D I panic'ed% completely for$ettin$ about the in6ured arm in the cast% which was well hidden beneath the slee+e of his shirt. I placed a fin$er on his mouth% drawin$ him away from e+eryone. When we were out of si$ht% I touched the arm. :My $osh% Im so sorry. I for$ot. *ow is it- "ou o'ay-; a'en abac' by my concern% =un$ ,an$ lifted a brow% pullin$ his arm away from me. :Ill li+e.; :=un$ ,an$% o$$a3; came a female(s +oice% drawin$ our attention away. We both turned to see ,hin *ye Min and ?im ae Woo approachin$ us as they entered the house to$ether. he two of them loo'ed li'e the ?en and 0arbie of ?orea. And you could e+en say% a match made in hea+en% e&cept that ,hin *ye Min was hurryin$ toward us with a short dress on that could only be described as slutty. I didnt li'e any of it% to be honest. I wasnt $oin$ to allow ,hin *ye Min to spoil it for anybody. !ee =i Won ne+er allowed those thin$s to happen. !oo'in$ up at =un$ ,an$% I as'ed% :Do you want to see her face ri$ht now- 0ecause if you do% Im $onna $o 'eep your best friend company.; : o be honest% Im sic' of seein$ it%; he muttered blatantly.

Damn% that was harsh. If only *ye Min 'new what he thou$ht of her. ,he was halfway towards us when suddenly a small fi$ure ran into her% throwin$ her off balance% causin$ her to fall on her behind. :=un$ ,an$% oppa3; she cried. It was Na)Na. ,he $a+e *ye Min an e&pression of apolo$y and said% :Im sorry. I didnt see you.; With that she win'ed at me and then ran off before *ye Min could open her mouth to spea'. =un$ ,an$ too' my hand% leadin$ me away when suddenly we heard ae Woo shout out% :0e a $entleman% =un$ ,an$. *elp her up. Are you 6ust $oin$ to i$nore it-; Damn that ae Woo. *e 'new 6ust what to say. *ye Min was cryin$ at this point. =un$ ,an$ stopped and turned bac' to his friend. heir $a>es met% and I could ha+e sworn there was some 'ind of tension between them. :Is that not what you are% ae Woo- *elpin$ women when theyre in distress- Well% $o ahead. *elp her up. What are you doin$ standin$ there-; *ye Min cried e+en louder than before. And bein$ irritated by it% I told her to shut up. ,he blin'ed twice while she loo'ed at me% 'eepin$ her mouth closed. ae Woo who was loo'in$ slic' in his suit% rolled his eyes to the side and then loo'ed bac' at his friend in annoyance. :"ah3 =un$ ,an$. What the hell is wron$ with you- "ou+e been actin$ li'e Im your enemy or somethin$.; =un$ ,an$ said nothin$ in return. *e only loo'ed away. I touched his arm li$htly and said% :0e a $entleman% =un$ ,an$. 9o and help her. Im $oin$ to find Na)Na.; *e $ripped my arm and said% :We $o to$ether. Wait a moment.; I watched him slowly wal' o+er to where *ye Min was. *e stuc' out his left arm. ,he smiled at him% reachin$ up. =ust when she thou$ht she would touch his hand% he withdrew immediately. :4emember% *ye Min% you left me. I made it clear that I dont want nothin$ to do with you and that includes comin$ in contact with you%; he loo'ed at ae Woo and added% :9entleman or no $entleman.; *e turned around with a stern an$ry e&pression% marchin$ handsomely toward me. It was the hottest thin$ =un$ ,an$ e+er did. !i'e in them mo+ies% where the main hero wal's away from a car e&plosion untouched. *e stopped ri$ht before my eyes and offered his elbow. I hoo'ed my arm ri$ht throu$h it and smiled happily at him. /iiee- Ji Won) you lucky girl5all me a b8tch% but sometimes you ha+e to be selfish. Chp.*1- 0o KissB or No! !o KissF $0a+#e 0ennisB& a tall $uy% holdin$ onto a $lass of champa$ne corrected =un$ ,an$ when he mentioned the word pin$) pon$ to a couple of his friends in the loun$e. Fair in s'in% nice hair. 5lean cut and a remar'able smile% I would thin' that this $uy would ha+e no relation to =un$ ,an$. 0ut I learned that he was some lon$ distant cousin of =un$ ,an$ who attends colle$e in the Bnited ,tates. he $uy stuc' his nose in the air% indicatin$ a $esture of pure arro$ance. *e wal'ed around thin'in$ his sh8t doesnt stin'. After the cuttin$ of the ca'e% the dinin$ and the e&chan$e of speeches% =un$ ,an$ and I too' a browse around the house.

When we stopped to chat with some people% this cousin of =un$ ,an$ stood two feet away% pretendin$ to con+erse with some others. 0ut I 'new he was followin$ us. For whate+er reason% I truly dont 'now. 2erhaps he had some personal a$enda a$ainst =un$ ,an$I thou$ht we mana$ed to escape him when we entered the loun$e where all the youn$er people $athered. We spotted ae Woo in the cornerG surrounded by the $irls whom were watchin$ and listenin$ to him playin$ the piano as he tried mimic'in$ ?an$ as "olaris. *e was doin$ a poor 6ob at it too. he $irls didnt see it that way. hey were probably too focused on tryin$ to strip him with their eyes. I e&pected ,hin *ye Min to be at his sideG howe+er% she was nowhere to be found. he last I seen her% she had mascara runnin$ down her face and whinin$ about how terrible she loo'ed in front of her friends. =un$ ,an$ craned his head to finally ac'nowled$e his stal'er cousin. :What was that% James-; he <uestioned the tall $uy% tryin$ his best to pronounce the name in En$lish. he tall $uy with the American name% cleared his throat and then answered% : able tennis is the u$dated term now. Not pin$)pon$.; :2in$)pon$ is pin$)pon$. Itll always be pin$)pon$ no matter the name. "ou /mericans 'now nothin$ of pin$)pon$% thats why you chan$e the name to suit your own interest and claim that you 'now the $ame%; =un$ ,an$ ar$ued% shiftin$ his body around to confront =ames. =ames was a couple of inches taller and his shoulder was a tad bit wider% so he thou$ht he could appear intimidatin$. *e dran' his champa$ne in a sin$le $ulp and then handed the empty $lass to me since I was standin$ closest to him. I too' it from him and watched as he mo+ed closer to =un$ ,an$. :=un$ ,an$% since when did you $et so defensi+e with $ing! $ong- I dont recall you bein$ this obsessi+e%; he moc'ed intentionally. If it werent for =un$ ,an$ actin$ as $entleman for the ni$ht% I would ha+e told him to dec' him in the face. When I loo'ed at him then% I noticed how hard he was tryin$ to contain his an$er. With his hands balled and his 6aws ti$htenin$% he was itchin$ to do it. #f course% seein$ that this mi$ht result into a fi$ht% I too' my chance to inter+ene. 2lacin$ a hand on his arm% I said% :=un$ ,an$% oppa. Its $ettin$ a bit stuffy in here. 5an we $o $et some fresh air-; *e rela&ed under my touch and then he smir'ed% still loo'in$ at =ames. :Its stuffy because someone has on too much colo$ne.; :I 'now how much youre wantin$ to hurt me% =un$ ,an$. *ow about we settle this here and now. Im not the same person I used to be%; he boasted% ta'in$ off his outer 6ac'et and handin$ it to me. I cau$ht ae Woo eyein$ us now. *e stopped playin$ the piano. I ne+er reali>ed how many enemies =un$ ,an$ had until then. I rec'oned =ames had a bad past with =un$ ,an$. I too' the 6ac'et from him% nearly droppin$ the $lass. =un$ ,an$ loo'ed down at my hands and said% :Drop it. "ou dont 'now him so dont bother carryin$ his thin$s for him.; 0ecause =un$ ,an$ ordered me to do it% I did. he $lass shattered a$ainst the floor. E+eryone in the room stopped what they were doin$ to focus their attention upon us. :#ops%; I said in embarrassment% for$ettin$ that I held onto the empty champa$ne $lass alon$ with the 6ac'et. :Is that how you treat your $irl% =un$ ,an$- !i'e a b8tch- Does she always bar' on your command-; It wasnt =un$ ,an$ who attac'ed =ames. It was I. My nails clawed at his face and then I yan'ed hard on his hair and $ot him howlin$ out% :#w% my hair3 My hair33; =un$ ,an$ was the one dra$$in$ me away from =ames until he was certain I wasnt $oin$ to run bac' and beat the arro$ance out of him. We were outside in the +eranda when =un$ ,an$ decided to 'noc' a clay pot of mornin$ $lories o+er with a 'ic' of his foot. :Why did I do that% =i Won- Why did I let him insult me li'e that- Why didnt I 6ust beat his face in-;

:I could ha+e clawed his face out3; I shouted at him. :Why did you dra$ me away-; *e was pacin$ bac' and forth% tryin$ to calm his ner+es while I was seated on one of the stone benches% contemplatin$ on how I was $oin$ to $et =ames bac' for implyin$ that I was =un$ ,an$s b8tch. hen I reali>ed that bein$ an$ry wasnt $oin$ to resol+e anythin$. Bsin$ +iolence was ne+er my thin$. I couldnt be li'e =un$ ,an$ so I said% :0ecause today is your parents anni+ersary and youre supposed to beha+e)))D :F8c' all that bullsh8t. Im sic' of hearin$ that $entleman word.; I really didnt li'e his tone or the fact that he was transformin$ bac' into his u$ly horse personality. : hen youre a woman%; I murmured low enou$h so that he couldnt hear me. *e frowned. :What was that-; I stood up from the bench. :"oure a woman% if youre not a $entleman. hat ma'es you a woman3; *is frowned deepened when he as'ed% : he f8c' is wron$ with you-; :If you find it so difficult to be a $entleman. #r 6ust bein$ a man% then dont be3 No one is forcin$ you. 9o $et your se& chan$ed or $row your lon$ hair bac'% no one is $onna care3; I too' a deep breath and continued% :"ou 'now what you need% =un$ ,an$- What you need is an$er mana$ement therapy3; I yelled% feelin$ my an$er fumin$. :And you 'now what else- I thin' =ames mi$ht be ri$ht. Maybe you are treatin$ me li'e Im your b8tch. I dont li'e the fact that you command e+erythin$ that I do around you33; *e too' a step toward me% $lancin$ both ways. :"ah3 Why are you yellin$ so loud for- Are you tryin$ to embarrass usAnd if you hate it so much% why do you listen-; :I ne+er 'new you were e+en capable of bein$ embarrassed3; :Im not li'e you% I dont do stupid thin$s to $et embarrassed3; :,hut up3; I snapped% not 'nowin$ what else to yell bac' at him. :"oure a nuisance% thats what you are.; :#h yeah- "oure obno&ious and rude)))and crippled3; :5rippled-; :*a ha3 #ne)arm man. *ow does it feel to ha+e one arm-; I moc'ed% swin$in$ my arm bac' and forth. *e too' another step toward me. :#h yeah- "oure a twitcher3; :What-; I burst% surprised that he 'new about my twitchin$ habit. :"our le$ twitches whene+er you $et too e&cited.; :,hut up3; #'ay% so we were bac' to s<uare one. I dont 'now why I always $et into senseless ar$uments with =un$ ,an$. Maybe because I li'ed seein$ him an$ry or maybe because I 6ust wanted to win o+er him- *ec'% if I 'now. A moment of silence wed$ed its way between us% lea+in$ me to calm down a$ain until =un$ ,an$ tilted his head to $et a closer loo' at my face. :"oure not cryin$-; :Why- ,hould I cry-; *e smiled% showin$ off his white teeth. : hats what youre $ood at.; :Why- Would you ha+e had a hand'erchief ready to wipe my tears away-; 0efore he could answer% I added% :#h wait))) youre no $entleman. Why did I e+en bother as'in$-;

:Alri$ht% enou$h of the insults.; :What- "ou $et offended when I say youre no $entleman- For a $uy who doesnt want to be a $entleman)))D *e interrupted me. :5ould you shut your mouth for once-; :No.; *e slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. :,h8t. *ere it $oes a$ain.; Dont as' me why I was bein$ uncooperati+e. his was the 'ind of effect =un$ ,an$ had on me. For e+ery action there was a reaction. :If you wanted me to shut up then why did you as' me to shut it- "ou could ha+e 6ust told me to shut up since thats what youre so $ood at.; :For 5hrist sa'es% 6ust 'iss each other already3; someone shouted from behind one of the brushes. =un$ ,an$ spun around to the brushes behind him. :"ah3 What the hell you doin behind there-; : hats none of your business3; came the direct reply. =un$ ,an$ strode o+er to part the brushes aside% findin$ a couple in the middle of a ma'e)out session. *e slapped the $uy in the bac' of his head% causin$ him to bump his head with his $irl. : his isnt a motel% $o find one. 9et outta here before I rip your ton$ue out.; :Aish3 Dont $otta be all rude about%; the $uy said% pullin$ his $irlfriend alon$ with him. :Wait3 #ne more thin$. he nei$hbors do$ comes and sh8ts here once in a while. "ou mi$ht want to chec' the bottom of your shoe before you enter the house a$ain.; hat $ot me lau$hin$ a$ain. =un$ ,an$ turned to loo' at me. :What-; :I cant belie+e you did that.; :What-; :0ro'e them apart li'e that.; : hey were 'issin$% so what-; :Would you li'e it if you were 'issin$1; #nce I reali>ed what I was sayin$ to him% I trailed off and <uic'ly chan$ed the sub6ect. I lifted my head up to stare up at the s'y. :Wow% a full moon.; A full moon. ,o not $ood. he settin$ was too perfect. he music from inside started to play% fittin$ perfectly with the romantic atmosphere. It was li'e in the mo+ies. E+erythin$ about it was romantic. I stood there% aw'wardly side)$lancin$ at =un$ ,an$ who had his eyes fi&ed on his in6ured arm. Look u$. Look u$ at me) you dummyAs if readin$ my mind% he loo'ed up and fi&ed his $a>e on me. And then he inched closer with his one arm slowly $lidin$ across my bac'. :=i Won1; *is breath $ra>ed $ently across my chee's as he turned me to face him. :"es-; I replied% starin$ directly into his handsome face% settin$ my eyes on his lips. My heart fluttered in e&citement. his was it. he moment I+e anticipated for way too lon$. his was $oin$ to be !ee =i Wons first official 'iss e+er3 "es people% Im tellin$ the truth.

:Would you mind if)))D I didnt e+en wait for him to finish as'in$ me. :No% not at all.; :Are you sure-; :"es% Im sure.; *e reached out to brush somethin$ off my ear. :"ou ha+e frostin$ on your ear.; he color in my chee's immediately lost its color. My heart no lon$er fluttered. I was bac' to bein$ disappointed and embarrassed a$ain. I blurted out% :Why didnt you 6ust tell me- Why did you ha+e to be so)))D *e left brow rose. :,educti+e-; I <uic'ly lowered my eyes without an answer. :Its fun teasin$ you%; he answered followed by chuc'le. And then he si$hed. :If you want me to 'iss you% =i Won. =ust tell me.; :4eally-; I paused% :Wait)))why should I ha+e to tell you-; :!i'e% I said. =ust tell me.; When I thou$ht deeply into it% I reali>ed what he meant. *e wouldnt hesitate to 'iss me if I 6ust told him to do it. Did that mean)))he wanted to 'iss me too- B$h% I dont li'e $ettin$ confused. And I was +ery confused at that moment. I opened my mouth to spea'% but then I stopped short% remainin$ indescisi+e. :Is it so hard to tell me% =i Won-; :"es. "es it is.; : hat means you dont really want me to 'iss you.; :I do)))I meant)))I dont 'now.; :*a+e you e+er been 'issed-; :"es%; I lied. :!iar.; :*ow do you)))D :0ecause then you would be the one initiatin$ the 'iss by now.; :And how would I be doin$ that-; *e too' hold of my hand and placed it around his nec'. :"oud place your hand here. And then Id ha+e no choice but to%; he placed his hand around my waist% :place my hand li'e this. And then youd be on your tiptoes and youd tell me 40iss me) Jung 2ang. ; *e puc'ered out his lips and closed his eyes. I couldnt help but lau$h at his chan$e of attitude. It was nice seein$ the playful side of him. :"ou loo' retarded li'e that.; *e lowered his eyes momentarily before meetin$ my $a>e a$ain. :Did1did I tell you yet that uh1you loo' beautiful toni$ht-; 9osh% could he ma'e me feel anymore uncomfortable- :A compliment- han' you. "ou dont loo' so bad yourself. "ou loo' $ood. I really li'e this new loo' on you.;

hat made him smile. All I could say was that the smile was $enuine. : o be honest% I+e ne+er smiled this much before% =i Won. I dont remember the last time I smiled this much.; :What do you mean-; : he last time I e+er smiled this much was when my $randfather had handed me my first pin$)pon$ rac'et.; :Why- Do you hate to smile-; *e loo'ed past me and answered% :I tried smilin$ for someone once. hat person told me ne+er to smile a$ain because Id only scare e+eryone off.; I felt an$ry on his behalf. :Was it the same b8tch who called you u$ly-; *e didnt answer meG instead he drew me closer until my chin rested on his shoulder. :What if told you that I dont want to pretend anymore- What if I told you that I want this to be real this time% =i Won- What would your answer be-; I 'new what he meant. I understood it +ery well. I opened my mouth to answer him. :"es. My answer would be yes.; :2A4? =BN9 ,AN93 !E *E4 9#% "#B ,#N)#F)A)08 5*33; Ah% yes. hat stupid person 6ust had to ruin it for us. Chp.**- 0he 0rap an' 0he Fa## $PA4K %<ND SANDG !E *E4 9#% "#B ,#N)#F)A)08 5*33; After bein$ forced to brea' away from =un$ ,an$% I swun$ around to face the person with the annoyin$ +oice and wasnt at all surprised to find my youn$er brother% char$in$ full speed toward us. E+er seen a bird flyin$ blindly a$ainst a $lass window- hat was how I described =in *yun$ at that moment. I stepped in front of him and smac'ed him hard in the head% ma'in$ him halt. :"ou annoyin$ brat. =ust what the hell do you thin' youre doin$% huh-3; =in *yun$ loo'ed up to me while rubbin$ his head in pain. :#w noona% that hurts.; :9ood%; I said% $rabbin$ at his hair and sha'in$ his head. :Dont you e+er% e+er% do that a$ain% yhear me-3; :#'ay% noona. I wont. I wont% I promise%; he cried out in a pleadin$ tone. he tears were also seepin$ from his eyes due to my hair 6er'in$. I pulled my hand away% reali>in$ that I let my an$er consume too much of me. 5rossin$ my arms in an intimidatin$ manner% I said% :Now% why did you swear at =un$ ,an$ for-; :0ecause I heard thin$s. I heard that he li'es to hurt $irls. hats why I came loo'in$ for you and then I saw you in his arms so I swore at him.; It was wron$ to ha+e my youn$er brother actin$ protecti+e of me. I ne+er really thou$ht he cared that much. :Where did you hear this from-; :,hin *ye Min. ,he told me that =un$ ,an$ is abusi+e. hats why she bro'e up with him in the first place. ,he said that he $a+e her a blac' eye once. And that1; he paused to thin' of somethin$% :that she done it with him. I dont 'now what she mean by done it so I as'ed her what it was and she told me that Im too youn$ to understand and that I come to tell you about the blac' eye and the done it part.; =in *yun$ had ne+er been +a$ue about thin$s. *e was more of the e&plain)it)all type. *e said all of this in front of =un$ ,an$ and myself. 9rowin$ e&tremely embarrassed and an$ry at the same time% I told him% : hats 6ust stupid. Why do you listen to dumb $irls li'e that- Now% apolo$i>e to =un$ ,an$.; :I cant.; :What do you mean% you cant-;

*e shru$$ed% wipin$ at his tear)stained chee's and said% :I 6ust cant.; :"ah3 Do you want me to smac' you a$ain-; :*es $one% you stupid noona3; I turned around to find that =un$ ,an$ was somehow replaced by a smilin$% cute Na)Na. hat made me ponder on the fact that whene+er somethin$ was $oin$ ri$ht between us% I was always left disappointed at the end. Na)Na was loo'in$ directly at =in *yun$. :I found you. "ou cant hide from me.; =in *yun$ suddenly pressed himself a$ainst my bac' with his arms wrapped ti$htly around my waist. :Noona% dont let that little witch $et me. ,hes a frea'3; Na)Na stepped closer to us. :=un$ ,an$ went inside% =i Won. "ou should $o after him before that *ye Min character snatches him away.; I trusted =un$ ,an$ would find e+ery way to a+oid *ye Min. What I couldnt understand was why =in *yun$ acted terrified of Na)Na. I tried to disen$a$e myself from =in *yun$s loc'in$ $rip. :Whats wron$ with you- Why dont you li'e Na)Na-; :I dont li'e her. ,hes weird. ,he sounds old.; :=ust because I ma'e you feel dumb and inferior% doesnt mean you cant han$ around me% =in *yun$.; =in *yun$ released me and pointed an accusin$ fin$er at her. :"ou see that- ,he doesnt e+en call me oppa and she doesnt e+en use normal +ocabularies. ,hes disrespectful. If she was my youn$er sister% Ill slap her mouth and ma'e her obey me.; :And if you were my oppa% I would ha+e 'illed you by now%; Na)Na retorted calmly. :Whate+er% Ill 'ic' your ass33; =in *yun$ shouted out in an$er. I found myself bac'in$ away from the both of them% lettin$ them continue their unusual bic'erin$ as I slipped bac' into the house and ran into ?im ae Woo who too' hold of my hand% leadin$ me into room full of people who were slow dancin$ to the band playin$. 0efore I could protest% he already rested his hand on the side of my waist% $uidin$ me to the slow music. :Dance with me% =i Won. I thin' we should tal'.; I went alon$ with him. :Why tal' li'e this-; :0ecause =un$ ,an$ cant see us li'e this.; I $lanced around ner+ously. :Are you sure-; : he last time I saw him% he went upstairs with *ye Min.; I $aped at him. :What-3; :,hhh% not too loud.; :0ut)))D :*ell be o'ay. =un$ ,an$ isnt that type of person)))its 6ust that)))lately I+e been confused myself. I dont understand what hes tryin$ to do. I mean)))this $irlfriend thin$. he reason why I helped him was because I thou$ht he wanted some tem$orary $irlfriend to ma'e his e& 6ealous.; :#h $osh% this is so clichK. his is the part where I $et all upset o+er it because its supposed to be some 'ind of misunderstandin$ ri$ht- Im supposed to feel li'e I+e been used% ri$ht-; :Err1I dont1thin' thats the case. I was 6ust as'in$ you to help me. I need to 'now what hes feelin$ ri$ht now. If he wants *ye Min bac' or whether he wants to be with you.;

E+erythin$ was startin$ to fall into place. 2erhaps that was the reason why there was so much tension between the two lately. ae Woo was probably tryin$ to push =un$ ,an$ bac' with *ye Min. :Why-; :0ecause that stubborn f8c' ne+er 'nows what he wants when it comes to his girl.; : ell me somethin$. Why did he really brea' up with ,hin *ye Min- And why does he hate her so much- Did she cheat on him-; :,he made a mista'e. ,he made him choose.; :5hoose-; :"eah. It was either pin$)pon$ or her.; :Wow% what a selfish b8tch% and then what happened-; :*e chose pin$)pon$. ,o they bro'e up.; :Wow% what a selfish bastard% and then what happened-; ae Woos brows creased to$ether in pu>>lement. :"oure not at all affected by what Im tellin$ you-; :For all I 'now% you could be lyin$ about the whole thin$% 6ust so you can ma'e yourself loo' $ood so that you could impress me and then end up betrayin$ your best)friend by tryin$ to steal his $irlfriend and I reali>ed that I(m spea'in$ in circles.; ae Woo <uic'ly lowered his eyes. I noticed that his lashes were pretty too. :Damn.; :Im ri$ht% arent I-; *e shoo' his head sli$htly. : hat was my first intention but% no. Im 6ust tryin$ to help.; :In what way-; :We ha+e to test his feelin$s.; :And-; :Im 6ust the man for the test.; It was wron$. E+erythin$ about it was wron$. he truth was% I wasnt so sure about how =un$ ,an$ felt about me either. *ye Min left him because she wanted to be the first important thin$ in his life% not the second. I 'new how much pin$)pon$ meant to him% and you could also say that I accepted that. First or second% I didnt really care)))so lon$ as I $ot to see his face and that he too' that e&tra time to see mine. hat my friends% is the first phase in fallin$ in lo+e. :"ou mean)))ma'e him 6ealous-; *e smir'ed impishly. :If I could $et him 6ealous% then we ha+e our answer% dont we-; :What do you $et out of this% ae Woo-; :I $et the $irl% of course. hat all depends on =un$ ,an$ and whom he chooses.; :And whos the $irl- Dont tell me its *ye Min%; I said% testin$ to see whether it was *ye Min that he really li'ed in spite of the fact that I 'new what his answer would be. :Well...;

I interrupted him. D*ow can you be so sure you(ll $et the $irl-D *e turned the <uestion bac' on me. DWhat $irl% can(t I $et-D ,eein$ the arro$ance was startin$ to lea' throu$h% I told him bluntly% D"ou(re not that hot.D DWhat-D :"A*3; someone shouted at us. I turned to see *ye Min standin$ beside =un$ ,an$ who 'ept on a strai$ht face% watchin$ us with one hand tuc'ed inside his poc'et. : he music has stopped already. ,houldn(t you be $ettin$ off the dance floor-; *ye Min added. ?im ae Woo smiled. : est number one is o+er% =i Won.; My 6aws dropped suddenly. I started to piece two and two to$ether and understood what had 6ust happened. hat snea'y bastard had tric'ed me. *e had e+erythin$ planned. I fell ri$ht into his trap without e+en a$reein$ to it. :Now% well see what he does%; ae Woo spo'e inaudibly. =un$ ,an$ 6ust loo'ed at me unfa>ed by it all. here wasnt e+en a hint of an e&pression on his face. hen he wal'ed away% actin$ li'e he had seen nothin$. My heart fell. It was the last time I seen his face that ni$ht. he party ended there for me. ))) I showed up at school the ne&t day% half)asleep and emotionally confused. What I thou$ht was a start to a new relationship% turned out to be the end of it. 9o fi$ure. "ou can(t always $et what you want. ,oo =in was already interro$atin$ me at my des' before class started. :I heard what happened last ni$ht. E+eryones tal'in$ about it. hey say =un$ ,an$ is super hot and se&y now. hey also mentioned that the two of you bro'e up3; :Did we- 9ee% I wasnt e+en aware of it%; I said% soundin$ li'e a >ombie% restin$ my face a$ainst my boo's. :What else did you hear-; : hat 2ar' =un$ ,an$ and ?im ae Woo are enemies now because of you.; :4eally-; :I heard they fou$ht last ni$ht too.; I lifted my face to stare at the $ullible ,oo =in. :"ah3 "ou heard all the wron$ news. Where do you $et your sources from9ee>es.; :=ust watch. Watch they both end up not showin$ up for class today.; I i$nored her and decided to close my eyes for a second or two. he ne&t time I opened my eyes% class was be$innin$. ?im ae Woo and 2ar' =un$ ,an$ entered the class late to$ether. =ust what I e&pected% nothin$ of the ordinary. he two loo'ed li'e they were $ettin$ alon$ 6ust fine. here was no chan$e in their attitudes towards each other. *owe+er% I did notice one bi$ chan$e. he atmosphere in the room had shifted dramatically. he $irls that hated =un$ ,an$ before battered their lashes at him and whispered e&citedly amon$st one another% complimentin$ on how $ood he appeared. =un$ ,an$ was indeed the current hot topic to them.

*e spared a sin$le $lance in my direction and when he saw that I was loo'in$ at him% he loo'ed away <uic'ly. What was this- Did he thin' he was too $ood for me))) !unchtime also suc'ed. I sat alone% playin$ with my lunch by po'in$ repeatedly at it with my plastic for'% tryin$ to ta'e my eyes off the do>en of $irls that $athered li'e a hun$ry pac' of coyotes surroundin$ ae Woo and =un$ ,an$ li'e their preys. I still couldnt fi$ure out the reason why he was i$norin$ me so I became frustrated. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% a hand tapped me on the shoulder% shiftin$ my attention away. :!oo's li'e your loverboy has found himself some new lo+ers.; "oon ae sat on the table% restin$ his feet on the chair. :"ou ha+e dar' circles around your eyes%; he remar'ed. : han's% but I reali>ed that this mornin$ when I loo'ed into the mirror. 5ant blame me for loo'in$ bad% I only $ot a few hours of sleep last ni$ht%; I muttered miserably. "oon ae pluc'ed the apple off my tray and bit into it. :*a+in$ problems with =un$ ,an$-; :"eah% I thin' hes an$ry at me for slow dancin$ with ae Woo last ni$ht% so hes completely i$norin$ me.; :Did you tal' to him-; :No.; : hen how do you 'now hes i$norin$ you-; :0ecause1loo' at him. *e doesnt care. Im sittin$ here all alone.; :Do you sit with him e+ery lunch-; :No.; : hen what ma'es you thin' hell sit with you today-; :,hut up% "oon ae. "oure not helpin$.; :I wasnt tryin$ to help. I was 6ust as'in$ you <uestions%; he said% ta'in$ another bite of his apple. After chewin$ on it% he as'ed% :Need some ad+ice-; :,ure.; :9o tal' to him.; :No.; :Need a better ad+ice-; I $lared at him. :It better be better.; :!et me beat some sense into him. Ill $et him while hes still crippled.; I plopped my head down in hopelessness. DA5?3 *E4E(, A F85?IN( W#4M IN *I, *IN933D "oon ae spat out.

))) E+ery sin$le trophy was 'noc'ed o+erG some were e+en bro'en in half. he room loo'ed li'e it had ransac'ed by some psychotic intruder)))e&cept that an intruder would ne+er put holes into the wall for no reason. : his is what he did to his trophy room last ni$ht. E+eryone thou$ht some one mi$ht ha+e tried to trash his trophies% but =un$ ,an$ admitted that he did it%; Na)Na e&claimed. :When as'ed why he did it% he said because he felt li'e it.; I felt suddenly afraid. @ery afraid. *e wrec'ed his trophy room because he was an$ry. I didn(t mind. ,o lon$ as he didn(t $o around 'illin$ anyone. :*e went loo'in$ for you to as' for a dance. hen he saw you with ae Woo. hat made him upset.; I had to admit% it was sweet and a little psychotic of him to $et riled up li'e that. *owe+er% I had my answer. *e was an$ry because of me. I was an$ry too. I wanted to 'ill ?im ae Woo. I hated this annoyin$ thirdMfourth wheel that was $oin$ on. It was turnin$ into some 'ind of f8c'in$ drama. I was $oin$ to correct that. 9osh% I hate soundin$ li'e the anta$onist. Chp.*,- :@pec!a!ions o7 !he <ne@pec!e' IE?e +een ;a!ching hi" si#en!#y 7ro" a7ar. I 6ust didnt ha+e the ner+e to approach him directly. Its hard% not 'nowin$ what to e&pect. his was =un$ ,an$ we were tal'in$ about. he +ery same $uy who beat people up o+er a sin$le pin$) pon$ rac'et. he same $uy who wrec'ed his room and trophies because he was 6ealous. he same $uy who came +ery close to 'issin$ me. he same $uy who surprised me with a dress. here was still much more to understand about 2ar' =un$ ,an$. a'in$ a deep breath% I strode o+er to tap him li$htly on the shoulder and said% :Whats your problem-; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ who had been sittin$ comfortably on his chair and watchin$ tele+ision% craned his nec' to the side. :I ha+e many problems. Which one do you want to hear first-; I rested a hand on the side of my hip. :*ow about you start with me-; *e $a+e me a sidelon$ $lance% and then $lued his eyes bac' to the tele+ision screen. *e was watchin$ some mafia flic' where e+eryone was shootin$ at one another. :I ha+e no problem with you%; he answered sullenly. :0ullsh8t. hats why you i$nored me since last ni$ht.; *e shru$$ed in response% actin$ li'e it was no bi$ deal. :"ou danced with ae Woo% so what- Did you thin' Id $et 6ealous o+er that- "ou may thin' youre special% =i Won% but youre not that special. And I didnt i$nore you. I dont remember tal'in$ to you either% so how can I i$nore you-; :I didnt say that I was special..; I trailed off% 'nowin$ he was ri$ht while attemptin$ to hide the hurt in my +oice. :Why did you destroy the trophies in your room then-; *e leaned bac'% settlin$ his lon$ le$s onto the chair and answered% : hat has nothin$ to do with you.; :What% so all of a sudden you decided to destroy those trophies for no reason at all-;

*e was smir'in$ at this point. :Na)Na told you that I did it% didnt she-; :"es%; I replied% $rowin$ sli$htly confused. : hat wasnt my doin$. I said that to $et my family to thin' I did it. Wouldnt want them to find out the truth.; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ didnt do it. My $osh% he didnt do it. "ou 'now what that meant- =un$ ,an$ wasnt e+en an$ry to be$in with% nor was he e+en 6ealous. *e didnt destroy anythin$ in the trophy room. It had nothin$ to do with me. It was all a misunderstandin$ on my part. 9rowin$ irritated% I went to bloc' his +iew of the tele+ision screen. :What do you mean,omeone else did it-; *e $estured me to mo+e out of his way with a wa+e of his hand. :Aish3 "es. Now mo+e% Im tryin$ to watch.; I didn(t li'e how he was actin$ li'e it was no bi$ deal that some intruder had crept into his room and ruined e+erythin$. Why was he bein$ e+asi+e forhat brou$ht me bac' to my ne&t series of <uestions. :#'ay. !ets $et somethin$ else strai$ht here. What1about1 what1; =un$ ,an$ $lanced up and then turned off the tele+ision% placin$ the remote control aside. :About what-; he as'ed% loo'in$ sli$htly annoyed. I blurted% :About what happened outside in the terrace yesterday3; *e stood up to face me and said% :We hu$$ed.; :"es% but what about what you said)))D :Do you li'e me% =i Won-; he as'ed bluntly. I was more ta'en abac' by his bold <uestion. :Bhm..; :If you li'e me% ne+er doubt me%; he said% reachin$ into the bac' poc'et of his 6eans% brin$in$ out a phone and be$an dialin$ a number. I watched him in silence% once a$ain admirin$ his fine features. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was in e+ery way handsome in spite of what he was wearin$. *e still loo'ed hot in a simple white tee and pair of 6eans% alon$ with his one)cast arm. :Dont stare% =i Won%; he scolded me% before spea'in$ on the phone. :"eah% ae Woo- I+e fi$ured it out. !ets $o.; ))) :A FI9* -3 A4E "#B 54AX"% =BN9 ,AN9-33; I bellowed% followin$ him outside. 0elie+e it or not% =un$ ,an$ was still dressed the same. *e was $oin$ empty)handed. :*es as'in$ for a fi$ht% so Im $onna $i+e him one%; he spo'e o+er his shoulder. =un$ ,an$ had e&plained to me that the $uy he was fi$htin$ was one of 0i$ noses $uys who had mana$ed to snea' into his room and destroyed his trophies the pre+ious ni$ht. hey wanted to $et him while he was at his +ulnerable point. =un$ ,an$ wanted to pro+e that he wasnt +ulnerable. he whole trophy incident did in fact affected him. :0ut youre a one)arm $uy. *ow can you possibly fi$ht)))D :I+e $ot bac'ups.; :Who- hat pretty)face ae Woo whom you call a friend-; My tummy was doin$ the flip)flops. I was ner+ous for =un$ ,an$. *e may thin' he was in+incible% but seein$ that he had only one arm to use this time around% I was startin$ to really doubt him.

I cau$ht up to him and bloc'ed his path. :Dont $o. Its pointless.; :"ou thin' youre $oin$ to stop me-; :"es.; :*ow-; I was no match for =un$ ,an$% but I had to thin' of somethin$ <uic'. :Ill tell Na)Na3; :E+en Na)Na cant stop me.; : hen1; : he last time someone tried to stop me from doin$ somethin$% I sent that person to the hospital.; :Who-; :My father.; ?ood!luck) Ji Won ))) In the end I was left with no choice but to follow him to the fi$ht. I ta$$ed alon$ out of curiosity and the sa'e of =un$ ,an$. ,eein$ a bunch of $uys brea'in$ one anothers noses and bloodied wasnt what I call entertainment% but 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was $oin$ to be one of those $uys% I couldnt 6ust lin$er on% worryin$ about his safety. I had to stic' by his side. Ne+ertheless% it wasnt at all what I had e&pected. =un$ ,an$ led me into the front porch of some stran$ers house. :Wait here% Ill be ri$ht bac'.; With that% he ran$ the bell. hen someone answered the door. *e said a few words before that person in+ited him inside. After fi+e minutes of my pacin$ bac' and forth% =un$ ,an$ reappeared outside% wa+in$ $oodbye to the stran$er who had let him in. *e only smiled when he saw me loo'in$ at him. :!ets $o.; he ne&t thin$ I 'new% he led me to another house across the street. his time% the house was much smaller than the one before. With the same procedure% he tal'ed to the person who answered the door% then that person bec'oned him inside% and after fi+e minutes% he came outside a$ain. :Are you callin$ on reinforcements% =un$ ,an$-; I as'ed him when we descended the steps to the under$round subway station. :Maybe%; was all that came out of his mouth. I had no clue what that had meant at the time. I decided to stay clueless. #nce we reached the station% there in front of us stood ?im ae Woo and a couple of his protK$Ks. *e was $i+in$ me one of those tauntin$ loo's% where you 'new he was testin$ me to see what I would do. I found myself approachin$ him when =un$ ,an$ suddenly $rabbed me bac' by the arm% shiftin$ my attention bac' to the two opposin$ fi$ures. en feet away% stood 0i$ nose and another $uy who was small in comparison. =un$ ,an$ too' a step forward. :!oo's li'e the others are not showin$ up.; : heyll be here%; 0i$ nose said in return.

: hey wont.; 0i$ nose too' a step forward. :*ow do you 'now-; :0ecause I too' care of them already.; 5lueless as I was% I was no lon$er clueless. =un$ ,an$ had ta'en care of 0i$ noses men while I was waitin$ outside in obli+ion durin$ the occurrence. When he wal'ed out those doors% he appeared to be happy. I reali>ed then that it wasnt happinessG it was a smile of satisfaction. A satisfaction in 'nowin$ that he had his +en$eance. :I did to them what they did to my trophies. And its e&actly what Im $oin$ to be doin$ to you% lard face.; :I ne+er 'new you were this cle+er% =un$ ,an$.; :*ow can you possibly 'now- "our brain is full of fat.; :Ill 'ill you3; shouted 0i$ nose in offense. :I wanna see you run. I wanna see how far you can run until you run out of air.; 0efore anyone could do anythin$% a loud roarin$ was heard in a distant. A blac' fi$ure wearin$ a helmet >oomed into +iew on his blac' "amaha bi'e% stoppin$ 6ust in front of =un$ ,an$. *e lifted up his $lo+ed thumb% indicatin$ some 'ind of $esture% and then he turned his thumb upside down. Flippin$ up his +isor% I saw the eyes that stared bac' at =un$ ,an$. !ee "oon aes eyes. "oon ae remo+ed the helmet off his head% sha'in$ out his messy hair. *e smiled% before reachin$ into the breast poc'et for a ci$arette to place between his lips. :,o youre the undefeated champion- I+e always wanted to challen$e someone li'e you. Its $ood% now findin$ out who you really are.; I wanted to $o up to him and bash his head with his helmet% but I refrained myself from doin$ so because I wanted to sa+e his face. ,eein$ that he made a cool attempt to intrude% I $a+e him his time. =un$ ,an$ <uestioned him. :Why are you here-; :I wanted to find out who you were. Im here to offer you a proposal.; :And-; :2lay me.; :Why-; :I+e ne+er been defeated%; "oon ae bra$$ed. :I 'noc'ed you out the other time with the door%; =un$ ,an$ reminded him. :"ou were pretty defeated then.; For a moment% I thou$ht I saw "oon ae flinchin$. : his is pin$)pon$ were tal'in$ about.; :Im aware of that.; :2lay me. Bnless of course% youre afraid of losin$ to me.; :Fine. Ill play you. Ill show you how it feels li'e to lose.; :Dont bra$.; : ell yourself that.; "oon ae eyed =un$ ,an$s cast. :,eein$ that youre currently crippled% Ill wait until youre fully reco+ered. And then well

play each other.; With that% he flic'ered a $a>e o+er in my direction and said% :"our mom told me to tell you that she needs you home soon. ,he wants you to help with dinner. ,hes coo'in$ me the special ramen. Ill see you at home. 5iao3; hat bastard of a cousin sounded e&cited. I was $oin$ to 'ill him once I $et home. Who was he to thin' he could ta'e on =un$ ,an$:=un$ ,an$. he fat bastard is $one%; ae Woo said. :"oon ae distracted us. ,hould we trac' him down-; =un$ ,an$ shoo' his head. :No. Dont worry about him. !ets $et out of here.; ))) ae Woo and the rest departed their own way. I was cac'lin$ with lau$hter when we $ot out of there. =un$ ,an$ watched me attenti+ely. :Whats wron$ with you-; :I dont 'now why Im lau$hin$. I 6ust find this all stupid. ,tupid "oon ae wants to ta'e you on in a $ame of pin$)pon$. *e doesn(t e+en 'now how you play.D DI(ll teach him a lesson.D D2lease do. hat ass needs one.D I mana$ed to calm down a bit. D0ut anyway% I mean all of this)))it doesnt e+en ma'e sense. Why do I feel li'e this)))this thin$ that we ha+e between us is $oin$ nowhere-; :0ecause it isnt%; he answered. he amusement in my face washed away instantly because it wasn(t what I e&pected to hear. :What-; :Im not the best companion% =i Won. When youre with me% this is what I deal with e+eryday. Fi$hts% confrontations and mainly pin$)pon$. "ou cant e&pect anythin$ more than that. a'e it or lea+e it%; he said% wal'in$ ahead of me. I fell into step beside him. :I dont mind. I thin' Im pretty much $ettin$ used to it. "ou may not be the best $uy in the world% but li'e I mentioned% Ill $et used to it.; *e 'ept his $a>e fi&ed ahead of him. :Im not boyfriend material.; :*ow can you be so sure- Why did you date *ye Min then-; :I sorta $rew up with *ye Min. I always thou$ht she saw past my appearance. hats why we became close.; : hen whats the most romantic thin$ you e+er done for her-; :I dont 'now.; :*ow can you not 'now-; :!i'e I said% I dont 'now.; :B$h. "oure so bland sometimes. And you(re unpredictable.; :I $uess thats why youre here%; he admitted shamelessly. I was baffled% uncertain what to say ne&t. *e finally stopped wal'in$% turnin$ to face me. :I 6ust want you to help me1help me understand the importance of a relationship between two people. he only thin$ I dont want is to e&perience that pain a$ain.;

I smiled at the affection in his eyes. *e meant e+ery word of it. :We $o throu$h this to$ether% =un$ ,an$. !ets pin'y swear on it.; :2in'y swear on what-; : hat we promise to be boyfriend and $irlfriend and help each other when we need each other. Most importantly% to care for each other the way e+ery boyfriend and $irlfriend should.; For a moment% I would ha+e thou$ht he would thin' it was a pathetic idea% but I was wron$. :Fine%; he a$reed% holdin$ out his pin'y. I held out mine and we sealed our promise. : he only problem I ha+e this is your an$er problem of yours. We ha+e to wor' on that.; *e loo'ed at me in disbelief. :"oure tellin$ me. What about yourself- I saw the way you clawed at =ames face.; : hats because I ha+e nothin$ to bite on. 0elie+e it or not% when I was youn$er% I $ot an$ry a lot. =ust because I ne+er had anythin$ $o my way. I used to bite so hard on my lower lip that I went to school with a busted lip. Alon$ the way% I learn to o+ercome that. I+e ne+er been an$ry% up to the point where I had to bite on my lip a$ain. 0ut bein$ around you ma'es me e&tremely an$ry% do you 'now that-; *e smiled. :*ow about this. Whene+er youre an$ry% Ill hold out my arm. And you can bite into it-; :0ut)))D :It mi$ht help.; : hats smart. "ou thin' I wont bite you because I would be afraid to bite you% ri$ht- hen I would ha+e no choice but not to bite you. hats why you said that.; :"es.; :#'ay. Ill 'eep that in mind. 0ut what about you- What you su$$est I do when you $et too an$ry-; I as'ed in return. :,imple. A 'iss.; I loo'ed at him incredulously. :What-; :For e+ery time I $et too an$ry% you ha+e to calm me down with a 'iss.; :Whats a 'iss $onna do-; : a'e my attention away.; :Fine.; My $osh% that answer came out faster than I thou$ht. :It better be more than 6ust a pec'. It has to be effecti+e.; :What-3; :"ou heard me.; :Fine%; I reluctantly a$reed. If a 'iss was $oin$ to help him calm down% then I wasnt $oin$ to oppose to it. I mean this was =un$ ,an$ were tal'in$ about. #nce a$ain% I was feelin$ all $iddy. *owe+er% if you loo' at it more carefully% there would be a whole lot of 'issin$ between us% considerin$ that =un$ ,an$ had an an$er problem.

5rap. Chp.*/- Lee %i WonEs Firs! Kiss Wai!B 7or ho; #ongF ,oo =in <uestioned% pullin$ me bac' by the arm before we entered the 4amen restaurant. :Almost a month%; I muttered shamelessly. ,he burst into a fit of lau$hter% holdin$ onto her stomach. "ou see% I dont blame ,oo =in for lau$hin$. It was e&actly what I had e&pected from her. I+e been with 2ar' =un$ ,an$ for nearly a month and we still ha+ent 'issed. =un$ ,an$ hadnt been the way he used to be. *e was less an$ry% more calm and so much more of a $entleman. And because of his reco+erin$ arm% he had been playin$ less pin$)pon$. *owe+er% I thou$ht it was sweet that he was actually ma'in$ time to see me. I seldom went to watch him play pin$)pon$. At one point% he tau$ht me how to play the $ame. When he thou$ht I couldnt hold the rac'et ri$ht% he $rew frustrated. "ou could say I did it on purpose 6ust to piss him off so that maybe I could finally ma'e my mo+e. It sounds stupid% doesnt ithe $irl pissin$ off her own boyfriend 6ust so she could 'iss him. Anyway% mo+in$ bac' to the point here. he bi$ <uestion is% did I $et to 'iss him,eein$ that he was frustrated at the time% I couldnt help but as'% %/re you angry) Jung 2ang(& And his answer was% %+o. Just frustrated.& In the end% there was no 'iss for !ee =i Won because =un$ ,an$ had been frustrated% not an$ry. 2retty sad% huhWe wal'ed into the restaurant and chose a seat by the window. ,oo =in plopped down on her seat first and then as'ed% :Nearly a month and you still ha+ent 'issed him yet-3; I lowered my eyes to hide my embarrassment when I answered% :Well% he hasnt been an$ry.; ,oo =in raised her brow. :"ou mean% he has to be an$ry when you 'iss him-; I loo'ed bac' up at her. ,he was loo'in$ at me with her curious eyes. :No)))I mean. Its hard to e&plain. =un$ ,an$ wants me to 'iss him e+ery time he $ets an$ry.; :And how will that wor'-; :Well1its simple% really. Whene+er I feel li'e hes $ettin$ an$ry or if hes showin$ his an$er% I 6ust 'iss him to calm him down.; :Wow1and he wont end up beatin$ you on the side of your head for that- *ow sweet%; ,oo =in remar'ed. I didnt li'e ,oo =ins sarcasm at all. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was +iolent but that didnt mean he beats $irls. 0efore I could defend =un$ ,an$% the waiter brou$ht o+er the menus. *e was a tall $ood)loo'in$ $uy whom we ne+er seen before. *is li$ht brown hair was a bit messy% han$in$ in his face and his white button down shirt was half)tuc'ed at the waist. *e had a ra$ dan$lin$ from his bac' poc'et. I reali>ed he had the prettiest 6aw line. I thin' I+e seen him from somewhere% I 6ust couldnt <uite remember. I cau$ht ,oo =in starin$ when I pried my eyes away from him. *e smiled down at us. :*ow are you two doin$ this e+enin$-; :9ood%; we answered in unison. ,oo =in was still starin$ and I had to li$htly tap her chee'. :"oure droolin$.; ,he <uic'ly snapped from her dreamin$ state and wiped her mouth while mumblin$% :Im hun$ry thats why.;

:!ee =i Won% ri$ht-; the handsome waiter <uestioned suddenly. I loo'ed up% tryin$ hard not to blush. :"es. Do you 'now me-; :I help at your schools library. "ou probably dont remember me% but I do see you around school. And at one point% I wanted to $o up to tal' to you% but I $uess your boyfriend beat me to it.; :4eally-; I said% tryin$ to remember where I had seen him. :"our boyfriend was holdin$ onto a bas'etball that day.; My memory of that day came floodin$ bac'. he tall $ood)loo'in$ $uy by the tree. his was the tall $ood)loo'in$ $uy by the tree3 :I remember. "es% I thin' I remember%; I answered% soundin$ too e&cited. ,oo =ins eyes widened in reaction. :Im !ee =i *oon%; he introduced himself. :Do you $irls need a few minutes to decide-; :"es. 0ut while were decidin$% could you wait here and help us decide-; ,oo =in said% flutterin$ her lashes from behind the menu. :,ure%; he replied% leanin$ in to help ,oo =in when suddenly we were rudely interrupted by a $roup of $irls seated a couple tables away. :=i *oon% o$$a%; one of the $irls called flirtatiously. :5ould you help us- We need some recommendations.; ,oo =in% upon hearin$ this% cleared her throat loudly to spite them. :=i *oon o$$a. Im feelin$ +ery cold today% Id li'e somethin$ e&tra spicy.; ,he tu$$ed at the collar of her uniform. :,omethin$ burnin hot.; ,he rolled her eyes to the side to $et the $irls reaction. hey were all $larin$ murderously at her with their mouths silently cursin$ her. While loo'in$ at =i *oon% I thou$ht about what mi$ht ha+e happened if I had met him before =un$ ,an$. 5rap. What was I thin'in$- My mind switched bac' to =un$ ,an$% wonderin$ why he was ta'in$ so lon$. *e was late. =i *oon pointed to somethin$ on the menu. :Well% you could)))D ,oo =in purposely dropped her phone. :#ops. 3$$a% could you pic' that up for me-; =i *oon nodded and s<uatted down to reach for the phone. hats when ,oo =in tilted her head to chec' out his rear)end and then leaned in <uic'ly to say% :My $osh% hes $ot a nice behind.; I ne+er thou$ht ?im ,oo =in was e+en capable of flirtin$. :A**3; I yelped when I felt somethin$ touch my shoe. :,orry. ,orry. I didnt see your feet there1uh1could you help me. he phone is 'ind of on your side% =i Won%; I heard him say. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% I was under the table on all fours% face to face with !ee =i *oon who was starin$ ri$ht bac' at me. My $osh% his eyes twin'led. And he smelled +ery $ood. ,oo =in ban$ed on the table% :"A*% it doesnt ta'e a dummy to pic' up a phone. *urry up. #r Im $oin$ down there too.; 0ein$ impatient as she was% she had to butt in% pushin$ me forward. All I saw were his lips% $ettin$ closer and closer. I had not time to react or thin'. I felt those +ery lips touched mine. My heart melted% and the blood rushed ri$ht up to my face. his was it people. his was =i Wons first official 'iss. And it wasnt e+en with 2ar' =un$ ,an$. Wahhhhhhhh333 =i *oon 6ust stared at me% dumbfounded when he pulled away. ,oo =in was stuc' her head between us% bumpin$ her head a$ainst the table in the process. :What happened-D

=i *ood stood up% brushin$ at his pants before holdin$ out his hand toward me. When I reached for his hand% another hand slapped his aside and pulled me up. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ stood there% loo'in$ <uestionin$ly at all of us and I suddenly felt li'e I wanted to die. "ray to ?od) Ji Won. "ray to ?od that he didn t see that% I told myself inside my head. :Is there supposed to be some 'ind of party under there-; he <uestioned% tiltin$ his head to the side to loo' under the table. *e turned bac' to me. :*ow come your chee's loo' so red-; Not 'nowin$ how to answer him% I said% :I feel1I feel +ery wea'.; With that% I placed a hand on my forehead and fell a$ainst him% shuttin$ my eyes completely% hopin$ that theyd fall for my act. :#h no. ,he fainted3; I heard ,oo =in shout. ,es) 2oo Jin. "lay along with me. Don t ruin this for me. :I cant carry her. My arm is still sore. "ou. 5arry her% but dont loo' at her.; I heard =un$ ,an$ demand. :Alri$ht%; the +oice belon$in$ to =i *oon a$reed. 2h*t) Ji Won. ,ou can t let him carry you. ,ou made a mistake by fainting) you dummy0efore =i *oon could reach me% I opened my eyes and pretended to loo' around absentmindedly. :*uh- What happened to me-; =un$ ,an$ felt my forehead. :"ou feel normal. Whats wron$ with you-; I put on my wea' e&pression a$ain. :Im not hun$ry.; =ust when I said that% my stomach $rowled loudly. hey all loo'ed at me% e&pectin$ some 'ind of e&planation. :Im not hun$ry for noodles. !ets $et somethin$ else to eat%; I said% hoo'in$ my arm around =un$ ,an$ and dra$$in$ him out% callin$ to ,oo =in o+er my shoulder. :"ou can eat here% ,oo =in. Were $onna $o $et somethin$ else to eat.; #nce we were outside% I let out a deep breath. =un$ ,an$ turned to loo' at me. :"ah3 Are you on your period or somethin$-; :W*A -3; I $aped at him in shoc'. :Why would you as' me that-; *e loo'ed away when he said% :Well% you fainted and you were all red and you left the restaurant in a hurry so I assume that youre on your period.; I slapped him on the shoulder. :Dont e+er as' a $irl whether shes on her period. "ou ha+e no respect for a woman% do you-; :It was a <uestion.; I crossed my arms. :A +ery blunt one.; *e shru$$ed li$htly. :,o.; :"ah3 Do you want me to slap you% =un$ ,an$-; :Dont as'. Do it.; I stomp my foot a$ainst the $round. :Im $ettin$ an$ry3; *e held out his arm. :9o ahead% bite me.;

I noticed it was the arm in the cast. :"ou idiot. Id brea' my teeth bitin$ that.; :Well% its an arm.; :A bro'en one.; :,hut up.; :"ou shut up.; *is brows creased to$ether. :What did you say-; :I told you to shut up3; We both $lared at each other% until he chuc'led aloud. :Are you tryin$ to $et me an$ry so that you could 'iss me-; Damn. *e cau$ht me% but hey% I tried. :No.; *e lau$hed some more. :If you want to 'iss me that bad% =i Won. "ou dont ha+e to wait until Im an$ry.; :0ut if you put it that way% I dont.; I turned from him and added% :I dont li'e the fact that you ma'e me sound desperate.; :!oo' at me% =i Won.; I turned to meet him. *e was starin$ ri$ht into my eyes. ,teppin$ in closer% he 'ept his $a>e focused on my mouth. :A 'iss cant be forced. "ou ha+e to be drawn into it to$ether. hat ma'es it a 'iss. A +aluable one. Do you understand% =i Won-; I was lost in his $a>e. :"es.; :9ood%; he said% tiltin$ his head down. =ust before our lips could touch% I bac'ed my head away% ta'in$ hold of his arm. :=un$ ,an$. I cant 'iss you. I ha+e a confession.; :What-; he $uilt was eatin$ me inside out. :Its about what 6ust happened inside that restaurant.; :It has somethin$ to do with that $uy% doesnt it-; My $a>e dropped to the $round. :"es.; *e was $ettin$ an$ry. :Did he try to loo' up your s'irt-3; :No% its not that.; :What is it then-3; Im not +ery $ood at e&planations. :Well1I 'ind of bump into him from under the table when were loo'in$ for ,oo =ins phone. 0ut because ,oo =in bumped into me% I bumped into him and I bumped into him with my lips on his1; :What- "ou 'issed him-3; :I didnt 'iss him3 We bumped lips33; I ar$ued. :What the f8c' is that- "ou 'issed that asshIles lips and you wanted me to 'iss you-3; I touched his arm. :=un$ ,an$ calm down. I didn(t want you to 'iss me.; *e 6er'ed from my $rasp% rubbin$ at his face and said% :Did you li'e it-;

I couldn(t belie+e he had as'ed me that. :No% of course not.; *e paced bac' and forth. :9ood. "ou shouldnt be li'in$ it. It wasnt e+en a 'iss.; It wasn t a kiss but it was more than you ll ever give me) Jung 2ang % I wanted to say. :!ets 6ust $o. I dont care anymore. I dont care about the stupid 'isses. I dont care if you 'iss me or not. I dont want to $i+e a damn. I dont care3; I shouted at him% feelin$ the tears sproutin$ from my eyes. *e offered his arm. :Im sorry I $ot you an$ry. "ou can bite me.; I did. "ou can say that the bitin$ made up for the lac' of 'issin$. Chp.*1- Pre!!y Face $0hereEs going !o +e a con!es!G& ,oo =in shouted in e&citement% throwin$ an arm around my shoulder at lunchtime while I sat in the cafeteria. :What contest-; : he students will ha+e a chance to +ote for the prettiest Bhl66an$.best face/ in the school3; I rolled my eyes% unperturbed by it. :!ast year and the year before that% we had that. Whats $oin$ to chan$e this year-; I ne+er truly understood these pointless contests. All it did was increase your popularity and ma'e you $o around thin'in$ your better than anyone else. Worst of all% that stupid ?im ae Woo 'eeps winnin$. ,oo =in sat down beside me% snatchin$ the oran$e from my tray. :Well the winners are $oin$ to or$ani>e this years school dance. hey $et to choose the theme.; : hat seems li'e a lot of wor'. Why are you tellin$ me this for-; ,he started peelin$ the oran$e. :0ecause your name is on the nomination list.; I went ri$id. :What-3; :"es. It says on the site. "our name is up there.; :Who the hell put my name up there-; I as'ed% in spite of the una+oidable $iddiness feelin$ inside. o be honest% I was more than flattered to be nominated. he 6uice s<uirted into ,oo =ins eye while she was peelin$ it. :Wah3 My eyes3; :4ub it.; ,he rubbed at her eyes with the bac' of her arm. D hat(s why I hate peelin$ oran$es%D she complained. :,o bac' to the point%; I reminded her. ,he went on peelin$ the oran$e a$ain. : hese 6ud$es unanimously +ote for those who are <ualified in the school. hese 6ud$es are said to be past winners who ha+e to 'eep their names unidentified. I heard 0im 0yung 'ok oppa is one of the 6ud$es this year. Anyway% $uess who else made the list as one of the top uhl66an$s-; I started to feel the butterflies in my stomach when I said% :Err1my cousin "oon ae-; :What- hat "oon ae oppa- No one in the school 'nows he e&ists e&cept for the $irls.; :Who then-;

,oo =ins brows rose. :"our lo+eable 2in$2on$0oy of course.; :2ar' =un$ ,an$ made it-3; I as'ed in shoc'. What would 2ar' =un$ ,an$ do once he found out- I 'now. Most li'ely% he(ll trac' down the 6ud$es one by one and beat the li+in$ sh8t out of them. :#f course he did. E+er since you erased his dar'ness and made him come into limeli$ht% e+eryone has been noticin$ how $ood)loo'in$ he is.; : hose stupid dummies. All they see is loo's.; :And e+er since hes datin$ you% e+eryone has been sayin$ how stupid he is.; I felt insulted% but I didnt really care. :,o hes up a$ainst that ?im ae Woo-; :Why dont you call him ae Woo oppa li'e e+eryone else- Its only ri$ht.; :*es not my oppa.; :*es not mine and I still call him that.; :"ou call e+ery $uy oppa% e+en if the $uy is youn$er than you%; I ar$ued. :#h yeah. "oure datin$ =un$ ,an$ oppa and you dont e+en call him oppa%; she countered in return. ,oo =in was ne+er $ood at ar$uin$. :Why are you defendin$ ae Woo-; :0ecause...I ha+e a crush on him.; I po'ed at her forehead. :"ah3 "oure 6ust li'e all of them stupid $irls. I+e always thou$ht youd see him the same way as I do. hat hes an arro$ant f8c'er.; ,he raised her half)peeled oran$e as if she was ready to stri'e at me with it. :,hut up. "oure 6ust an$ry because you ha+ent been 'issed3; his was the best counter stri'e ,oo =in has e+er used a$ainst me. ,he said that loud enou$h to catch the attention of the $irls sittin$ near us. I would ha+e reached out to smac' those chee's of hers% but I held myself bac' and decided to step on her toes instead. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% "oon ae showed up beside me% sittin$ on the table. *e had a habit of not sittin$ on the chairs. *e thou$ht it made him loo' cooler if he sat on the table. his $uy wanted to loo' hot in e+erythin$ that he does. :"ou ha+ent been 'issed yet% =i Won-; 0ut then a$ain% "oon ae always had a habit of stic'in$ his nose into peoples business too. :What are you doin$ here-; I as'ed him. :We need to tal'.; I $lanced around to see the sneerin$ curious eyes of some of the $irls who sat around us. :Now-; :"es% but not here.; : hen where-;

0efore he could answer me% an oran$e struc' him in the face and dropped to the floor with a weird ploppin$ sound. For a moment% "oon ae 6ust sat there with his eyes closed while slowly wipin$ away the 6uice that stained his face. hen he stood up abruptly and shouted% :"A*33 W*# *E F85? =B, *4EW *A -3; I turned bac'% thin'in$ it was ,oo =in. 0ut it wasnt. ,oo =in who was bein$ pushed around by the $irls who had sat near us. ,he was holdin$ on a piece of paper behind her. :"ah3 5hubby)face% who told you to insult us-; he tall $irl with the ponytail shouted. :"ou insulted my friend first3; 2oor ,oo =in. ,he had to be defendin$ me that was why she was bein$ pushed around. I strode up to them and put myself bra+ely in front of ,oo =in. :What is $oin$ on-; he $irl with ponytail raised her eyes to loo' at me. :None of your business% b8tch.; Ai$oo3 !i'e I+e mentioned before% I hated to be called a b8tch. Especially comin$ from someone who loo'ed li'e she could stomp on me. I reco$ni>ed her immediately. ,he was also one of the tough $irls in school. ,oo =in held out the paper in front of my face. : hey printed this from the site and drew o+er your face and then they chan$ed your profile. !oo' at what it says under your future $oal.; 1o f*ck as many guys as I can. "oon ae was suddenly beside me% loo'in$ down at the paper. :,h8t% =i Won. hese $irls crossed the line.; I felt my face burn with embarrassment and an$er. I bunched the paper up and tossed it at the $irls face. :Are you loo'in$ for trouble-; All the students had already $athered in a circle around us. hey were probably more e&cited to see the tou$h $irl beat the sh8t out of pretty !ee =i Won. ,he sho+ed me rou$hly on the shoulder. :Are you loo'in$ for a fi$ht-; "oon ae wanted to inter+ene when I held him bac'. I $a+e him one loo' and he understood what it meant. :Are you 6ealous-; I as'ed the $irl. :#f what- "ou bein$ a slut- Why would I be 6ealous o+er that-; Most of the $irls lau$hed at her remar'. I felt embarrassed. Any $irl would ha+e felt that way if they were bein$ lau$hed at. :Im not loo'in$ for a fi$ht. I dont li'e fi$htin$ and I dont 'now how to fi$ht. I dont li'e sh8t tal'in$ nor do I li'e $oin$ around and pic'in$ on anyone. ,ure% perhaps I do find myself pretty% but I dont $o around thin'in$ Im better than anyone else. !et me as' you somethin$% how can I be a slut if I+e ne+er been 'issed-; :,hes ri$ht.; ,omeone a$reed out of nowhere. he crowd slowly made way for ?im ae Woo who came towards us. hat bastard always 'new how to ma'e an entrance. :E+ery $uy 'nows that they ne+er had a chance with !ee =i Won. Includin$ myself. ,o how does that ma'e her a slut-; I had to $i+e him some credit for that. I felt my cousin slip his hand into mine and said% :!ets $o.; *owe+er% the +oice didnt belon$ to my cousin and the $rip on my hand was way too familiar to be comin$ from my cousin. When I loo'ed up% all I saw was the bac' of =un$ ,an$s head.

My heart flutters whene+er =un$ ,an$ shows up une&pectedly and ta'es my arm to lead me away. Ne&t thin$ I 'new% we were standin$ inside the library between the boo'cases. I said to him% :!et $o of my arm% =un$ ,an$. "oure holdin$ on too ti$ht.; *e spun around to face me with an an$ry e&pression. :"ou li'e that sort of attention% dont you-; :What attention-; :"ou li'e it when people tal' about you.; I mana$ed to free my arm. :I dont. I was defendin$ myself and helpin$ ,oo =in. Whats your problem anyway-; :Dont eat in the cafeteria anymore%; he told me. :I dont li'e those people.; :Where should I eat then-; :Anywhere but there.; :Where do you eat-; It was a stupid <uestion to as' =un$ ,an$. Durin$ the lunch hours% =un$ ,an$ went off on his own. I ne+er bother to <uestion him% but seein$ that he was supposed to be spendin$ time with me% I had to as'. :I dont eat lunch.; :0ut where do you $o-; :I $o where I want to $o.; :5an I come alon$ with you then-; :Why-; :What do you mean why-; *e didnt answer me. :Fine. Ill $o eat in the cafeteria then.; :If you 'now whats $ood for you% you better not $o eat in there%; he warned. :"ou $o where+er you want to. Why cant I-; *e nearly snorted when he mumbled% :I $uess you li'e bein$ called a slut.; :=un$ ,an$. Dont ma'e me bite your arm a$ain.; :Whate+er.; I too' his arm and he retreated a step bac' as if he was afraid Id bite him for real. hat $esture made me lau$h. I had to co+er my mouth so that I wouldnt disturb anyone else around us. :"oure such an idiot sometimes. I $uess my bitin$ does hurt you.; 9lancin$ down% I too' notice of the teeth mar's that still hadnt faded. :2oor arm. I should stop doin$ that% huh-; :Huit $ettin$ an$ry then.; :,top ma'in$ me an$ry.; :I ha+e no control o+er your feelin$s.; I si$hed. :And I ha+e no control o+er mine.;

:What do you mean-; :,ometimes I really really want to hurt you. And other times% I really really want to hu$ you. And most of the times I really really want to 'iss you but I cant because I really really want you to 'iss me. ,o yeah% thats why Im always really really an$ry with you.; *e loo'ed down at me and his lips bro'e into a smile. :I feel the same way about you.; My eyes widened in reaction. *e too' my arm and drew me closer until our faces were inches apart. :Im $oin$ to 'iss you% =i Won.; ?I,, ME DAMMI 333 I wanted to shout out. *e leaned in. I leaned bac'. ,omethin$ occurred to me. 5all me ner+ous% but this wasnt how it was supposed to happen. :0ut)))arent we supposed to 6ust)))feel it in the moment and 'iss- I mean)))to ha+e you tell me that youre $oin$ to 'iss me. Its 6ust weird% =un$ ,an$.; *e lau$hed in my face. I tried to $et him to lower his +oice% but he continued to lau$h out loud. ,omeone showed up. !ee =i *oon stood there loo'in$ at us. here was this aw'ward tension in the air. *owe+er there was somethin$ wron$ with =i *oon that day. *e had a blac' eye. hat made me curious. :#h. Its you two.; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ hoo'ed an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. :"es% its us.; :=ust try to 'eep <uiet%; he said% turnin$ bac' around to wal' in a different direction when =un$ ,an$ stopped him with a <uestion. :*ow did you $et that blac' eye% =i *oon-; :,ome asshIle thou$ht I was tryin$ to hit on his $irlfriend% thats why.; With that he wal'ed away. Instantly% I 'new who had $i+en =i *oon that blac' eye. I loo'ed at =un$ ,an$ accusin$ly. :"ou brou$ht me here to see that% didnt you- "ou wanted me to see what you did to =i *oon.; =un$ ,an$ be$an to wal' away. :No. I didnt. It was 6ust a coincidence1I $uess.; :2ar' =un$ ,an$3 Dont you dare wal' away from me3; :=ust you try and stop me.; I pulled on his arm. :5ome here. We need to tal' first. 2lease%; I be$$ed. ,urprisin$ly% he a$reed. #nce we were bac' to our little corner. I too' a deep breath and loo'ed strai$ht into his eyes. :I want to 'iss you. ,o let me 'iss you% =un$ ,an$.; *is left brow rose in <uestion. :"oure bein$ weird.; :I do. I really do. If I dont do it now% I dont thin' I e+er will and I dont thin' you e+er will.;

*e smiled in amusement. :#'ay. ?iss me.; I too' another deep breath% forcin$ myself to do it. :5lose your eyes first. "oure ma'in$ me ner+ous.; *e complied. .ere it goes. I had to tiptoe to reach his le+el. And then I leaned in slowly and pressed my lips a$ainst his. Immediately I felt his arm $o around me% pullin$ me a$ainst him. *e 'issed me bac'. I was lost in the moment. o be honest% I was completely lost in that 'iss. It was e+erythin$ I thou$ht it would be and more. ,o much more. Lee Ji Won. ,ou lucky b*tch*owe+er% the real reason why I wanted to 'iss him wasnt because I wanted to )iss him. I wanted to $et bac' at him for what he did to !ee =i *oon. ,o in the moment of our 'iss% I bit him. I bit 2ar' =un$ ,an$s lips. *e pulled bac' in pain% touchin$ his bleedin$ lip. :=i Won1; : oo bad I was an$ry while 'issin$ you% =un$ ,an$. #therwise it would ha+e been nice% wouldnt it-; With that% I turned my bac' on him and wal'ed away. :"ah3 !ee =i Won. "ou come bac' here3; Chp.*5- 0he Ca## $=o "e a 7a?orB %in Hy.ngB& I said to my little brother who was more focused on playin$ his +ideo $ame rather than payin$ any attention to me at all. *e made himself comfortable by layin$ flat on his tummy before he said% :It has to come with a price. Whate+er it is youre about to as' me to do.; :Fine. Ill $i+e you money.; :Enou$h for a new $ame-; :Aish3 9ames are e&pensi+e% =in *yun$.; *e shru$$ed. :No fa+ors then.; I would ne+er depend on the little brat to do anythin$ for me% but seein$ that I was in need of his help I was willin$ to ta'e some ris's. :What if I smac' you on the side of your brainless s'ull and toss you throu$h the window-; :,till no fa+ors.; I dont li'e ma'in$ senseless threats towards =in *yun$. I was more of the 7hit)him)first)threaten)him)after type. I let out an e&asperated si$h. :Fine. Enou$h for a $ame.; *e reached out to shut the system off and then sat cross)le$$ed in front of me li'e an obedient child awaitin$ his treat. My $osh% I was itchin$ to slap the moc'in$ e&pression off his face. :What is it that you need% noona-; he as'ed sweetly. :9o pic' up Na)Na after school for me tomorrow. Im $oin$ to be a little late.; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was $oin$ strai$ht to see his doctor after school the ne&t day and I wanted to $o alon$ with him. *e was finally $ettin$ his cast remo+ed. here was no one to pic' up Na)Na and =in *yun$ was the only one I could thin' of)))or e+en rely on. *e frowned and shoo' his head. :What-; *e shoo' his head +i$orously while answerin$% :No way. Im scared of her.;

:No $ame then.; :I dont care. I rather not see her face at all. ,he(s a little frea'.; :Why are you so afraid of her- 0ecause she ma'es you feel dumb-; :I dont li'e her. When I went to that stupid party% she told me to call her $randmother. I as'ed her why. ,he told me because she(s is much older and wiser than I am. ,he(s stran$e and psychotic. Why cant you as' *ero to do it-; :I dont trust him. And he doesnt 'now how she loo's li'e. 5mon% =in *yun$. Ill buy you two $ames%; I said% tryin$ my best to con+ince him. *e rolled his eyes upward and placed a thumb on his chin% pretendin$ to appear thou$htful. And then he loo'ed bac' at me and said% :Fine. hree $ames you said-; :I said)))D :Alri$ht noona. hree it is3; Damn. I 'new I should ha+e tossed him out the window. ))) !ater that e+enin$% when I was in the middle of my homewor' =un$ ,an$ called to tal' to me about his niece. :"our brother a$reed-; :"es. *e has no choice. Im his noona% he has to listen to me.; :"ou thin' the two will be o'ay to$ether-; :Im pretty sure they will.; :9ood.; :,o1are you happy that youre $onna be ta'in$ off your cast tomorrow-; :I am.; hats all the reaction youre $oin$ to $et from 2in$2on$0oy. *e has a problem with admittin$ his happiness. Its li'e he didnt want to be happy% 6ust satisfied. :"our lips still sore-; I as'ed% followed by a chuc'le. :"ou ha+e pro+en your rumors correct. "ou do li'e to bite.; My $osh. *e was flirtin$ with me. *ow was I to react to that: he only person I e+er bit is you%; I defended myself% only to sound flirty. :I $uess we shouldnt be 'issin$ anymore.; :What do you mean- "oure afraid Im $onna bite-; :"ou bite better than you 'iss% thats for sure.; :"ah3 Are you sayin$ I dont 'now how to 'iss-; *e lau$hed. :Maybe.; :Whate+er.;

:2ro+e me wron$ then. Ill $i+e you another chance%; he stated before han$in$ up on me. I didnt li'e not ha+in$ the last word so I called his number. When he pic'ed up% I said% :I will pro+e you wron$. =ust be prepared for it.; It was my turn to han$ up on him. I was flushin$ at this point. 2lacin$ my phone aside% I 6umped on the bed and buried my face into the pillow% s<uealin$ li'e an idiot. My phone chimed a$ain. I 'new it was him. I pressed the tal' button and held the phone close to my ear. :=i Won1; I heard him say. :"es1; I answered him. :Ill always1ha+e the last word.; 5lic'3 *e hun$ up on me. When I called him bac'% he had already shut of his cell. I was an$ry at myself. Lee Ji Won. Why didn t you think of that first( ))) !ater that ni$ht% I was awa'ened by the chimin$ rin$ tone on my phone. R chime chime L 0lindly reachin$ for my cell phone from under my pillow% I answered it. :*ello-; :=i Won-; :*uh- Who is this-; :Its ?im ae Woo.; At that point% it ne+er occurred to me that it was ?im ae Woo who had called me% not 2ar' =un$ ,an$. :?im ae Woo% who-; I as'ed% tryin$ to wa'e up from my state of sleepiness. :"ah. Wa'e up.; :Bh1; I said% rubbin$ at my eyes and $lancin$ around the room in the dar'ness to see that my alarm cloc' read W:WNam. :Why are you callin$ me at this time-; :I 6ust wanted to tal'.; :About what-; :Its been botherin$ for awhile now.; :Whats botherin$ you-; :"ou and him. ,eein$ the two of you to$ether. I1I)))it bothers me.; I sat upri$ht% holdin$ the phone closer to my ear 6ust in case I misheard him. :"ou dont sound normal% ae Woo.; :What do I sound li'e then-; :A drun'. Are you drun'-;

:I had some to drin'.; :Where are you-; :Would you belie+e me if I tell you that Im standin$ 6ust outside of your house-; I <uic'ly $ot off the bed and went to my window. A lone fi$ure stood outside% wa+in$ to me. ?im ae Woo first wa+ed and then blew an ima$inary 'iss in my direction. :I see you% =i Won. 5ome down and see me.; :"oure cra>y. 9o home ae Woo. Well tal' later.; :Fine then. Ill sin$ to you. Do you want me to serenade you-; :Dont bother. I heard you sin$ before. "oure horrible.; :=ust watch me)))D :Fine. Ill be down there. Wait there.; It was stupid. I didnt li'e how he had to call me of all people and wa'e me up from my dreamless sleep and then tell me to $o down and see him. he only person I would do that for was 2ar' =un$ ,an$ and nobody else. "et somehow I felt li'e I was betrayin$ him by $oin$ to see ?im ae Woo. #nce I reached him% he placed his phone away but it ended up droppin$ on the $round. *e i$nored it as he too' a step closer to me. ae Woo was still dressed in his uniform. *owe+er% there were holes in his shirt% bruises on his face% and he was shoeless. I was surprised to see him in that sort of state. 9rud$in$ly% I as'ed% :What happened to you-; *e smir'ed at me. :Im hurt% =i Won. 2hysically%; he paused% placin$ a hand o+er his chest% :and emotionally hurt.; : hats your problem. What does it ha+e to do with me-; :0ecause you are my problem. "oure doin$ this to me.; I 'new e&actly what he meant% I was 6ust in denial about it. : ae Woo))): :I li'e you% =i Won. I cant help it. 0ut it hurts seein$ you with my best friend. It hurts 'nowin$ that I mi$ht ha+e had a chance with you but =un$ ,an$ $ot to you first. hat is why it hurts%; he slurred out% soundin$ as if he was about to brea' down. :"oure drun' ae Woo. 4emember that.; :E+en if Im sober. Its not $onna chan$e how I feel.; *e was purposely placin$ me in a tou$h situation. :What do you e&pect me to do- I li'e =un$ ,an$. And more importantly% I dont feel the same about you.; Bne&pectedly% ae Woo too' hold of my arm and drew me closer to him. *e $a>ed deeply into my eyes. :What if1what if I could chan$e that-; :*ow-; :0y one 'iss.; With that% he leaned in and I leaned bac' far enou$h to lose balance. ae Woo fell on top of me when I hit the $round. I was once a$ain% placed in an aw'ward position. ae Woo had somehow 'noc'ed himself out and I was pinned beneath his hea+y wei$ht. With all my stren$th I mana$ed to roll him off me and sat up% breathin$ hea+ily. *is phone started to rin$. After clumsily reachin$ for it% I didnt bother chec'in$ to see whom it was as I answered% :*ello-;

:*ello-; the +oice said bac'. :Who the hell is this- 2ut ae Woo on the phone.; he +oice belon$ed to none other than 2ar' =un$ ,an$. My heartbeat be$an to beat faster in ner+ousness. I didnt 'now how to respond bac' to him. :Bhh1; :=i Won- Is that you- Why are you answerin$ ae Woos phone-; : ae Woo is here with me)))D I smac'ed my forehead% correctin$ myself <uic'ly% :I mean))) ae Woo is here.; :*ere where-; :#utside of my house.; :What are you doin$ outside of your house with him-3; he as'ed% raisin$ his +oice. Its stupid when you try to be honest. Most of the time% youd only ma'e the situation worst than it already was. hat was how I was that moment. :*e called me. *e had a bit too much to drin' so he called me while he was standin$ outside of my house. *e wanted me to meet him)))D =un$ ,an$ didnt wait for me to finish. : ae Woo only wants to screw $irls when hes drun'.; hat came out harsher than I would+e e&pected from =un$ ,an$. When he recei+ed silence from me% he said% :,o what- Is he done yet or did I interrupt-; he tears started to form in my eyes. ,omethin$ cau$ht in my throat. No words came out. :I thou$ht you were smarter than that% =i Won.; With that last line% he hun$ on me. I be$an to cry. I cried because =un$ ,an$ succeeded in hurtin$ me with his words. I cried because I felt the sense of betrayal on my part. I cried because stupid ae Woo was lyin$ unconscious ne&t to me and I cried e+en more because I was an$ry. A half hour later% after the rainin$ of my tears had ceased and ha+in$ put much thou$ht into it% I dialed =un$ ,an$s number. he moment he answered% I said% :"ou un$rateful bastard. What ma'es you thin' I would want to sleep with ?im ae Woo% huh- Do you really thin' Im a whore li'e e+eryone else- If you do% why do you choose to be my boyfriend- I really hate you for sayin$ that. I hate you% hate you% hate you. I feel li'e bitin$ your arm until you bleed to death% you heartless asshIle333; :Bh..I thin' you need to $et your head chec'ed because you+e $ot the wron$ number%; came the retort from the other line. he person hun$ up before I could apolo$i>e. Dumbfounded% I stared at the phone and felt the ne&t fall of tears. Wipin$ my eyes% I mumbled miserably to myself. :I ne+er doubted you% =un$ ,an$. *ow come you doubted me- It hurts me. What about you- "ou dont e+en 'now what pain is. "ou ha+e no heart. What am I to you% huh- =ust a brainless 0arbie perhaps- A sla+e perhaps- I mean nothin$ more than that. I hate you.; :"ah3 Are you always this emotional-; a +oice as'ed me from behind. I stood up and turned to see =un$ ,an$ still in his uniform with his arms crossed in a serious manner. :!et me $uess. "oure here to ridicule me% ri$ht- If not. Im $uessin$ youre here to brea' up with me.;

*e too' an apprehensi+e step toward me. :"ou ha+e e+ery ri$ht to be mad at me. I was an$ry because you answered his phone. I ne+er doubted you. I was 6ust an$ry)))so that came out unintentionally.; I said nothin$. #nly turned my face away in response. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% he stuc' his arm out. :*ere. 4elease your an$er. Ma'e me bleed.; I stared at his arm and fou$ht bac' the ur$e in wantin$ to bite it. :No. My bitin$ will not ma'e up for my cryin$.; :Im sorry I said that to you.; I merely $lanced at him when I said% :9et away from me. I can barely loo' at you ri$ht now. Im +ery an$ry% you 'now that-; :I reali>ed that. And Im sorry. What do you want me to do-; :Nothin$. =ust $o away for now.; :If I $o away% I 'now youll start to cry a$ain.; *e 'new me so well. E+en ha+in$ him say that% I wanted to cry. :"oure so dumb% =un$ ,an$. Do I ha+e to tell you to hold me-3; :I didnt thin' youd want that ri$ht now considerin$ that youre an$ry with me.; I snapped. : hen $et lost.; *e touched my arm tentati+ely. :=i Won% dont tell me to $et lost when you dont want me to.; :I hate)))D :5ome here%; he said% pullin$ me into his warm embrace. ,oon after I was nestled in the comfort of his arms% he spo'e softly while stro'in$ the bac' of my head. :If it ma'es you feel any better% Ill hold you li'e this until you tell me to let $o.; :=un$ ,an$-; :What-; I leaned my head bac' to loo' at him. :Did you drin'-; *e inclined his head in reaction. :Why-; :It was 6ust for)))D I $lanced at the unconscious ae Woo. :"ou were drin'in$ with ae Woo ri$ht-; :"es% I did. I dran' because its ae Woos birthday.; :Anythin$ else I need to 'now-; :!ets not tal' about anythin$%; he said% pullin$ my head to rest on his shoulder. :!ets not1tal'1; 0efore he could finish what he wanted to say% he collapsed ri$ht in front of me. I fell to my 'nees in a complete state of shoc'. *e remained unresponsi+e when I shoo' him. My heart raced a thousand miles. I tapped his chee' and cried out% :=un$

,an$3 =un$ ,an$ wa'e up33; No matter what I tried% =un$ ,an$ ne+er wo'e up that ni$ht. Chp.*6- Hospi!a#iHe' Mo"en!s a7!er %.ng Sang co##apse'I I had rushed him to the hospital% called on his parents and as'ed my cousin to ta'e care of ae Woo. urns out that the doc couldnt do anythin$ to re+i+e him. All the information I $ot came from his parents. Mr. 2ar' informed me that =un$ ,an$ needed his rest and that e+entually he would wa'e up a$ain. My ner+es were really sha'y at that point. I lost my +oice from my cryin$ and there was nothin$ I could do but sit bac' and watched. he situation had to be the worst that happened in my life up to that point. :Im sorry. *e wont wa'e up anytime soon%; the doc stated despairin$ly the ne&t day we +isited the hospital. "oon ae stood beside meG I leaned into him for support% feelin$ my le$s $i+in$ out on me. Why did I $et the feelin$ my life was turnin$ into some 'ind of sappy dramaWas this !ee =i Wons cue to fall onto her 'nees and cry her eyes out while be$$in$ the hea+ens for mercy)))or should she 6ust $o and 6ump off the roof and 'ill herself to end her misery- I <uic'ly shoo' away my irrational thou$hts% thin'in$ that my life was too important to allow any of that to happen. "oon ae blurted% :"ou mean% hes under a coma-; he doctor lowered his eyes in shame. :"es% Im +ery sorry)))D I rushed into the room before the doctor could finish e&plainin$. here I saw =un$ ,an$ still restin$ peacefully on the hospital bed. 4emember how I said =un$ ,an$ loo'ed $ood e+en when he was sleepin$- Its the truth. *e sleeps li'e an an$el. I approached him with slow dra$$in$ steps% allowin$ the truth to sin' in. I be$an to wonder 6ust how lon$ I would ha+e to wait to hear his +oice a$ain. :"ou ha+e to wa'e up =un$ ,an$%; I muttered% throu$h my endless fall of tears. I reached out and intertwined my fin$ers with his. :Wa'e up% =un$ ,an$. #r else Im $onna ha+e to brea' up with you.; *is fin$ers twitched in response. I let out a surprised $asp and loo'ed to his face to see that he was smir'in$ with his eyes shut. hen his hand suddenly shot out to smac' the side of my head. :"ah3 I dont ha+e any terminal disease. Why are you actin$ li'e Im dyin$-; he $rumbled. With that% he opened his eyes wide% starin$ up at the ceilin$. he 'not in my stomach had loosened. I blin'ed twice and rubbed my eyes 6ust to ma'e sure I wasnt 6ust seein$ thin$s. :"oure awa'e-; *e lifted his head two inches from his pillow while $a>in$ around the room. :Im in a f8c'in hospital3; I was still appalled by =un$ ,an$s wa'in$ presence. he doctor was so +ery wron$ about =un$ ,an$ bein$ under a coma. *ow could the doctor been wron$ about it- :"oure awa'e3; I shouted happily. *is brows furrowed to$ether as he sat upri$ht. :What- Does it loo' li'e Im sleepin$-; *a+in$ said that% he tore all of his I@s off and made an attempt to $et off the bed but I threw my arms around him and held him close. :I was so scared that you mi$ht ne+er wa'e up a$ain.; :Idiot. What ma'es you thin' that Id sleep fore+er-; I pulled bac'% $a>in$ into his penetratin$ eyes. : he doctor mentioned)))D "oon ae rushed into the room and blurted% :=i Won. he doc made a mista'e. *e thou$ht we had somethin$ to do with the patient ne&t door so he spo'e to the wron$ people3; I loo'ed from my cousin to =un$ ,an$ who was cursin$ and swearin$ at his appearance. :Im wearin$ a f8c'in hospital $own3;

I i$nored him and turned my full attention bac' onto my cousin. :4eally- ,oUsoUso it had nothin$ to do with =un$ ,an$ fallin$ under a coma-; :No% it doesnt.; hrowin$ my arms around "oon ae% I yelled out% : hats $reat news3 Im so happy333; I pulled away and $ripped onto his 6ac'et when I thou$ht about the stupid mista'e the doctor had made. : hat stupid dumbass doctor. *ow could he do this to us-; :=i Won% my 6ac'et. =i Won% watch my 6ac'et3; "oon ae said% pushin$ me bac'. :"A*33; =un$ ,an$ yelled. I spun around to see that he was po'in$ his head out the door. :Which one of you nurses is responsible for me- Where are my f8c'in clothes-33; "oon ae who was also loo'in$ at =un$ ,an$ whistled at him. :Nice set of le$s you ha+e on you.; =un$ ,an$ whirled around and retorted% :All the better to 'ic' your ass with.; "oon ae smir'ed. :!oo's li'e youre feelin$ better.; :Who says I was feelin$ li'e crap-; "oon ae folded his arms in front of him. :I heard you had a little too much to drin'. "ou too' in more than your body could handle. "ou cant drin' for sh8t and thats a fact that has been pro+en. #therwise% you wouldnt be here.; hat made me curious. If he 'new he couldnt handle the alcohol% why did he drin' in the first place=un$ ,an$ turned his head away to hide his embarrassment. :Whate+er.; he situation was wron$. =un$ ,an$ had wa'ened up from his slumber and I was 6ust standin$ there watchin$% when I should be puttin$ a stop to their bic'erin$ and unra+elin$ the story behind ae Woo and him. : hats it% isnt it- Alcohol is your wea'ness%; "oon ae said. *e smac'ed himself on the forehead. :And all alon$ I thou$ht you were in+incible3; 2o did I) ,oon 1ae. #ut unfortunately my $ing$ongboy has many flaws. :"ou 'now what they say% a man isnt a man if he cant drin'%; my cousin remar'ed. =un$ ,an$ stepped closer to "oon ae and I could already sense the tension formin$ between them. : hey also say that a man isnt a man without his balls.; *a+in$ enou$h of "oon aes snide remar's% I reached out and twisted his ear. :"ah3 Are you done-; :Aish3 !et $o. It hurts3; "oon ae wailed as he pulled away from me. :Why are you always pic'in$ on =un$ ,an$-; I as'ed him. :Im not%; he defended himself. :!ea+e the room. I need to tal' to =un$ ,an$.; ,parin$ a $lance at =un$ ,an$% he said% :Fine.; When he strode past =un$ ,an$% he paused to say somethin$ before headin$ for the door. =un$ ,an$ called o+er his shoulder. :"eah% and I hope the door hits you on your way out.;

And it did. "oon ae doubled o+er from the impact that collided into him. :,h8t3; Na)Na appeared from behind the door with her hair loo'in$ li'e a birds nest and rushed o+er to her uncle% throwin$ her arms around him. :=un$ ,an$. "oure awa'e. *ow are you feelin$-; "oon ae pointed accusin$ly at Na)Na and loo'ed o+er to me in <uestion. =un$ ,an$ reached down and tuc'ed a wisp of hair behind her ear. :Im fine. *ow did you $et here- And why is your hair so messy-; :I came here with !ee =in *yun$ and I $ot my hair pulled thats why its so messy.; At the mentioned of my brothers name% I hurried o+er to them. :Where is he- Is he here-; Na)Na nodded. :"eah% hes here. #ne of the nurses stole him thou$h. ,he says she has to fi& him up.; :Fi& him up-; 0oth =un$ ,an$ and I blurted. :We $ot into a fi$ht.; hat would e&plain the bird nest on Na)Nas head. I really didnt want to 'now what went on with the two. I rec'oned the brat $ot his ass 'ic'ed by Na)Na. =un$ ,an$ chuc'led amusin$ly. :"ou 'ic'ed his sorry ass-; I $lared up at him. :What-; he as'ed. :No. It wasnt li'e that. We $ot into a fi$ht with some bullies. hese older bullies were pic'in$ on me after school and thats when =in *yun$ showed up tryin$ to scare them away but1but they ended up beatin$ him up instead. And then he cried% so they called him a wimp. And they wanted to corner him and 'ic' him but then I stepped up to them.; ,he loo'ed up to her uncle. :I did what you tau$ht me% =un$ ,an$. I 'ic'ed the $uy in his balls and then I pulled down his pants. When the other $uy tried to attac' me% I hit him hard with my ba$ and then I 'ic'ed him there too. And when the other $uy tried to $rab me from behind% I did that =udo mo+e you tau$ht me and tossed him o+er my shoulder. It was fun.; ,he si$hed. :Meanwhile all =in *yun$ did was bawl his eyes out.; I 'new it. hat 'id was $ood at nothin$ other than cryin$. Instead of standin$ up for Na)Na% he re+ersed the scene to ma'e himself loo' li'e the wimp. 9osh% my mother was really $oin$ to 'ill me once we $et home. ,omeone was lau$hin$ in the bac'$round. I turned to see that it was "oon ae was still standin$ there% holdin$ onto his nose. :Ill $o loo' for the 'id.; With that% he left the room. Na)Na smiled up at the both of us and said% :Ill $o show him the way.; #nce she left the room% I e&haled slowly and turned bac' to confront =un$ ,an$. :We need to tal'.; :About what-; he <uestioned% touchin$ the arm with the cast. :About)))D here was a 'noc' on the door and =un$ ,an$ strode o+er to open it. he nurse $reeted him and then handed him his clothes. =un$ ,an$ said a few words and then rudely shut the door on her. With his bac' turned on me% he pulled on his 6eans and yan'ed off the hospital $own. I couldnt help but stare at his bac'. 0asically% I was cau$ht in the moment. *e had broad shoulders% stron$ arms and a +ery nice bac'. All those sports he played must ha+e paid off. :=un$ ,an$%; I called out% only because I felt li'e it. *e was in the process of pullin$ his polo shirt on when he half)turned to me with a pu>>led e&pression. :What-; My breath was cau$ht in my throat. ,hirtless =un$ ,an$ is +ery hot. I felt e+en luc'ier 'nowin$ that =un$ ,an$ was not only handsome but beneath his clothes% he has a +ery toned and athletic physi<ue.

+ow) now) Ji Won. Don t make him think you have a naughty mind. /t least $retend to be sur$risedI <uic'ly co+ered my eyes. :Are you stupid. Why are you chan$in$ in front of me-; After pullin$ his shirt on% he said% :Whate+er. I 'now you were starin$.; I flustered in front of him. :I wasnt.; When he opened his mouth to spea'% the door flun$ swun$ inward. ,hin *ye Min stood there% holdin$ onto a $ift bas'et. :#ppa%; she called. I rolled my eyes% disli'in$ the disruptions. *e half)turned to her. :What are you doin$ here% *ye Min-; ,he strode forward% actin$ as if I didnt e&ist and e&tended her arms towards him. =un$ ,an$ stood there loo'in$ at her before $rabbin$ for my arm and pullin$ me close to him. *ye Mins 6aws dropped alon$ with her arms. :#ppa% please dont do this to me.; :Do what- 5ant I hold onto my $irlfriend-; he as'ed her. =un$ ,an$ admitted that I was his $irlfriend to his e&. ,hould I feel special:"oure tryin$ to ma'e me 6ealous%; *ye Min stated. Its a possibility that *ye Min could be ri$ht. =un$ ,an$ s<uee>ed me and then $a+e me a pec' on the chee'. :=i Won% Im hun$ry. !ets $et out of here and $et somethin$ to eat.; I was more ta'en abac' by the pec' on the chee'. :Bhh1; I <uic'ly turned my head to say% :Maybe% we could)))*e $a+e me another <uic' 'iss. his time% it was on the forehead. I blin'ed twice and then turned to see that *ye Min had dropped her $ift bas'et and ran out cryin$. ,he e+en slipped once before disappearin$ and I couldn(t help but lau$h. he moment she was out of si$ht% I reali>ed that =un$ ,an$ 'isses were intentional. Immediately% I bro'e from his $rasp. :Im not your toy% =un$ ,an$3; :No% youre not%; he a$reed. :Im your $irlfriend.; :And why cant I 'iss my $irlfriend-; :"ou did that to piss her off-; :Whats wron$ with that-; :"ou didnt really want to 'iss me. "ou did that so she could flee the room.; :I wanted to 'iss you to piss her off. I dont see anythin$ wron$ with that.; Not 'nowin$ what else to say bac' to him% I said% :Im not your toy% =un$ ,an$3; :"ou said it first% not me%; he ar$ued. :And if we continue to ar$ue li'e this% well $o in circles. ,o lets 6ust $et out of here and then ar$ue some more. I hate hospitals. his place ma'es me sic'.; :Fine. !ets $o.; =un$ ,an$ wal'ed off first.

:=un$ ,an$3; I shouted. *e stopped to loo' o+er his shoulder. :What-; :Wait for me%; I muttered% hurryin$ o+er to his side and hoo'in$ my arm around his. :Arent you plannin$ to ta'e your cast off first-; :"es.; :5an we $o to $et some ice)cream once we $et out of here-; :"es1; DAre you mad at me-D DNo.D D5an we not ar$ue once we $et out of here-D D#'ay.D D5an I tell you)))D D=i Won. 5an you shut your mouth- My head hurts from listenin$ to your scratchy +oice.D D#'ay.D Chp.*9- I! Wor)e'. :Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh333 M" 24E "FA5E #22A *A, 0EEN E!IMINA ED F4#M *E 5#N E, 333 ,ome psychotic $irl bellowed in the middle of the hallway% fallin$ to her 'nees in de+astation. If only she 'new how pathetic she loo'ed. A fi$ure suddenly appeared from behind her. It was !ee "oon ae% appearin$ as if he was some 'ind of 'ni$ht in shinin$ armor to rescue his damsel in distress. :Dont worry. E+en if ?im ae Woo is out of it% you still ha+e !ee "oon ae left. Ill be standin$ in his place.; And it was ob+ious that it would only ma'e thin$s worst. My cousin has ne+er been the 7$ood $uy. All the $irls started to 7ooh and 7ahh at him. "oon ae $a>ed at my direction% win'ed and smiled impishly. he $irl clun$ to his arm% suddenly for$ettin$ about ae Woo. :4eally oppa- Ill support you all the way.; *e disen$a$ed from her and said% :,upport me but dont clin$ on me.; With that% he wal'ed away from her% causin$ the other $irls to si$h dreamily in response. =ust before he past me% I stuc' my foot out% ma'in$ him trip o+er it. *e tried his best to re$ain his composure and $a+e me a death $lare% mouthin$ somethin$ in the process. I stuc' my ton$ue out and turned my attention bac' to ?im ,oo =in who tu$$ed at the ed$e of my slee+e. :=i Won)ah% its ae Woo oppa. E+eryone is sayin$ how he has as'ed to withdraw from the contest.; :Why-; I in<uired% thin'in$ about the absence of ae Woo that day at school. :4umors has it that he $ot beat up so bad that his face is unreco$ni>able%; ,oo =in e&a$$erated% co+erin$ her face with

both her hands. :Ai$oo% my poor oppa. My poor lo+eable oppas face.; I pushed her head forward to $et her to snap out of it. :*e wasnt beat up that bad. *e 6ust has some bruises but it wasnt serious.; ,oo =in eyes widened in response. :4eally- *ow do you 'now-; I blurted without thin'in$. ,oo =in didnt 'now about ?im ae Woos situation. I <uic'ly tried to chan$e the sub6ect. :Damn% =un$ ,an$ is probably waitin$ fore+er.; ,oo =in didnt fall for it. :"ah% =i Won)ah% what are you not tellin$ me-; I i$nored her and wal'ed faster. :I $otta $o. =un$ ,an$ is waitin$ in the front3; I yelled o+er my shoulder. :"ah3 "ah3 5ome bac' here3; I heard ,oo =in call after me before I too' off in a run. When I wal'ed outside% a floc' of loud $irls were ta'in$ snapshots with their cell phones of some $uy who was stuc' tryin$ to fend them off. I couldnt see the $uys face% but I couldnt help but thin' how unluc'y he was. *owe+er% when I strode past them% I heard them callin$ out his name. :2ar' =un$ ,an$3 5ould you turn this way-3 2lease loo' to camera3; I stopped wal'in$ and spun around an$rily. I could feel my blood be$innin$ to boil. What $a+e these $irls the ri$ht to ta'e pictures of =un$ ,an$I noted how helpless he loo'ed with the $irls surroundin$ him li'e he was some 'ind of celebrity. 5lenchin$ my hands% I yelled% :"A*3; he $irls stopped harassin$ him and turned their attention on me. :!ea+e him alone3; I added. =un$ ,an$ loo'ed up at me% called my name and hurried o+er to my side. :Its about time you came. If you didnt show up% I mi$ht ha+e to hurt them.; I crossed my arms% still eyein$ the $irls who all started pic'in$ up their ba$s to lea+e. :"ou wouldnt hit $irls%; I said to him. :No. I wouldnt ha+e struc' them% I would ha+e tossed each and e+eryone of them out of my way.; I 'new he would do it too. a'in$ his arm% I led him away% feelin$ sli$htly protecti+e and 6ealous. : hose stupid $irls too' my pictures because they say Im in some 7prettyface contest. What do they mean by that- Im not a f8c'in prettyface%; he complained. *ow was I to e&plain to him- *e was in the contest one way or another. It wasnt his choice. :Erm1well1; :What are you hidin$ from me-; he prodded. :Well% accordin$ to the students +otes% were both in the 7prettyface contest.; :What-3; he burst. :I 'now. Its stupid but)))D :Ill 'ill them. Ill find out who these f8c'ers are and Ill 'ill them.; I had to $rab him hold of his face to 'eep him still. :=un$ ,an$% I want to as' you about ae Woo. Why was ae Woo hurt that ni$ht-; *is left brow rose in <uestion and a hint of irritation appeared across his face. :What- Why would you care about what ae Woo does-;

:I want to 'now if you were in+ol+ed in it.; *e bit on his lower lip and turned his head away before answerin$% :"es.; ruthfully% I was afraid of what he was about to tell me. :Dont tell me)))D :*e fou$ht with the owner of the bar we went to. ae Woo refused to lea+e when he was told to% so the fi$ht started.; :"ou didnt help him-; :I wasnt there when the fi$ht happened. I left before it started because I was an$ry with him.; :And why were you an$ry with him-; :0ecause1because he was1; =un$ ,an$ trailed off% refusin$ to spea' further. *e too' hold of my arm. :!ets 6ust $o.; I pulled out of his $rasp. :No. Were not $oin$ anywhere until you finish.; I was determined to pry it out of him% one way or another. :Now% tell me why.; :0ecause of you. hat bastard told me that he li'ed you lon$ before I transferred here. *e says that I was the one to steal 7his $irl from him.; =un$ ,an$ lowered his eyes% refusin$ to face me. :And I told him that he started this $ame of stealing first.; I didnt 'now what he was tryin$ to tell me and to be honestG I dont thin' I wanted to 'now. :What do you mean-; :,hin *ye Min ran to him. It was because of him.; *e need only to tell me that much. he rest was ob+ious. :"ou mean to tell me were datin$ because youre tryin$ to piss off your best friend-; *e loo'ed up and replied% :I wanted to ma'e him pay% but when I reali>ed that it was only one)sided and that *ye Min was the foolish one% I $ot o+er it. It wasnt his fault.; 0efore I could open my mouth to spea'% he continued% :And were datin$ because we li'e each other% not because of what youre thin'in$. ,h8t% I 6ust found out that the $uy li'es you.; I swallowed before I said% : hen tell me somethin$ else. Why did you really ar$ue with him-; :I $ot an$ry because he accused of me of stealin$ 7his $irl. I hated the fact that he was puttin$ his claim on you% so I had to remind him that you were my $irl.; :*ow-; :I told him that we 'issed%; he said with a smile and then added% :More than once.; My 6aws dropped and my chee's flustered. :"ou lied to him-; : hats when he told me f8c' off. ,o I left him his drun'en state. Afterward% I heard about the fi$ht and thats when I called him% only to find out that you were answerin$ his phone for him.; I let out an e&asperatin$ si$h% hoo'in$ my arm around hisG li'in$ the fact that =un$ ,an$ had done well with e&plainin$ himself. :9osh% =un$ ,an$% I thin' Im fallin$ deeper for you.; *e smir'ed. :Why is that-; :=ust cause youre so $ood at e&plainin$ yourself% and that youre always honest with me. I 'now I shouldnt be sayin$ that% but e+ery time Im around you% I $et the feelin$ that I could trust you. ,tran$e% huh-; :I cant lie to you% =i Won. I find it hard.; : hats $ood. "ou shouldnt be lyin$ to me.;

*e leaned in so that his shoulder brushed a$ainst mine when he loo'ed at me. :Do you want to 'now why I find it hard to lie to you-; :Why-; :0ecause most of the time you can be such an i$norant and $ullible idiot that youd fall for e+erythin$ Id say. "ou always ha+e that clueless e&pression on your face and I cant bear to loo' at it% so that is why I cant lie to you.; I hoo'ed my arm around his nec'% pullin$ his head down. :"ah3 Is this your way of insultin$ me-3; :Aish3 =i Won% <uit it. "our not Jeon Ji .yun from 5y 2assy ?irl.; I s<uee>ed his nec' and then released him. :"oure ri$ht. Im not. I 6ust felt li'e doin$ that.; *e ra'ed his fin$ers throu$h his hair% raised his head up to loo' ahead and stopped wal'in$. I fro>e too when I saw what was in store for us. We saw a line of o+er twenty $uys standin$ side by side% bloc'in$ our path. I reco$ni>ed most of them. hey had one thin$ in common. hey had all fou$ht 2ar' =un$ ,an$ before. And of course% leadin$ them was 0i$ Nose himself. My heart started poundin$ out of control. =un$ ,an$ was 6ust released from the hospitalG there was no way he was $oin$ to return so <uic'ly. My hand automatically du$ into my ba$ and pulled out my phone. I be$an dialin$ for the cops% 'eepin$ close behind =un$ ,an$. 0i$ Nose brushed a thumb across the tip of his nose and pointed at =un$ ,an$. :"oure dead meat% =un$ ,an$. If not today% tomorrow. If not tomorrow% the day after tomorrow and if not the day after tomorrow% the day after that and if not))): =un$ ,an$ interrupted him. :And as for you lardface. Ill beat you today. Ill beat you tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. If you happen to fall unconscious% Ill beat you awa'e and beat you a$ain. Ill beat you until you turn s'inny. And when youre nothin$ but bones left% Ill brea' you.; I was already on the phone% reportin$ the fi$ht to the cops% when =un$ ,an$ snatched the phone out of my $rasp. :5ops are no use.; :What do you mean- "ou cant fi$ht them all by yourself%; I ar$ued% $rabbin$ my phone bac'. :When you see me fallin$ on my 'nees thats when you can call them. 4i$ht now. =ust 'eep bac'%; he said% pushin$ me aside. I $rabbed his arm with a pleadin$ e&pression. :2lease =un$ ,an$% dont do this.; *e $rabbed both my arms and loo'ed strai$ht into my eyes. :Do you trust me% =i Won-; I cried. *e had to sha'e me to snap out of it. :Answer me% =i Won.; I bobbed my head li'e a dummy. :9ood%; he said% pattin$ my head. :If you trust me% ne+er doubt me.; With those last words% he was off runnin$ towards them with a fierce scream. At that +ery moment% all of the $uys that stood on either side of 0i$ Nose fled li'e a pac' of scared wild do$s. 0i$ Nose was left standin$ alone to face =un$ ,an$. ,adly% 0i$ Nose had no idea that his men werent with him when he char$ed at =un$ ,an$ alone. I <uic'ly wiped my eyes and felt relie+ed to see =un$ ,an$ was fi$htin$ 0i$ Nose alone% so I endin$ up cheerin$ for him instead. :9o =un$ ,an$3 ?ic' his fatass33;

When =un$ ,an$ was in closin$ distance% he leaped hi$h into the air and brou$ht his fist down hard a$ainst 0i$ Noses face. 0i$ Nose fro>e% touched his nose and then cried out% :"ou bro'e my nose33; ,econds after he said that% blood came s<uirtin$ out of his nose. =un$ ,an$ $a+e him one swift 'ic' on the chest% forcin$ him to double o+er% followed by a 6ump 'ic'% ma'in$ him fall flat on his bac'. =un$ ,an$ spat down on him in dis$ust. :Did you thin' those f8c'ers $ot your bac'- hey all e&perienced the pain I $a+e them% they dont want to $o throu$h it a$ain. Now its your turn% you fat)f8c'er3; he yelled% addin$ a hard 'ic' to the side of his ribs. 0i$ Nose was cryin$ out in pain% pleadin$ for mercy. I was $ettin$ scared. It was li'e seein$ =un$ ,an$ bein$ possessed by some de+il. I had to rush o+er and dra$ him away to $et him to stop. ))) *e was still shootin$ out profanities by the time we reached the front of my house. I turned to him and placed a hand on the side of his face. :5alm down. Its o'ay. Its o+er.; :2eople li'e him dont learn. hey need to be tau$ht a lesson. "ou shouldnt ha+e stopped me% =i Won. I would ha+e 'illed him.; : hats why I stopped you.; :*e ma'es me an$ry.; :I can see that%; I a$reed. :Ill 'ill him a$ain when I see him3; he burst. :Ill beat the fat out of him. Ill bust his brains)))D My $osh. I really didnt li'e this scary side to him at all. :=un$ ,an$. 5alm down. "ou won. *e $ot beat up really bad. What more do you want-; :Im f8c'in pissed off% =i Won3 What do you e&pect me to do-3; :5alm down3; I shouted bac'. :*ow- *ow the f8c' am I supposed to calm down- If you 'now a way)))D I had to 'iss him to shut him up and calm him down. And I(m tellin$ you ri$ht now% that it was the best thin$ I e+er did. I felt the softness of his lips pressed a$ainst mine. I felt his arm $oin$ around me% drawin$ me closer. I felt the butterflies in my tummy. I felt my face heatin$ up. I felt li'e the luc'iest $irl on earth. When we bro'e apart% I co+ered my face in embarrassment. :Wah% I cant belie+e I 6ust did that.; =un$ ,an$ smiled at me. :I should $et an$ry more often%; he teased. I blushed and said nothin$% feelin$ my face chan$in$ into a deeper shade. *is smile widened when he said% :It wor'ed.; :*uh-; :I made you 'iss me.; :"ou mean. "ou were pretendin$ to be an$ry moments a$o so that Id ha+e no choice but to 'iss you-:

:"es.; I was tric'ed and it made me feel +ery stupid. :Idiot%; I muttered in embarrassment. :I wanted to see whether youd 'eep your promise.; :Well% it wor'ed.; : hats what I said.; *e drew me close a$ain% lowerin$ his head. :Now% lets try that a$ain.; ,omeone cleared their throat% immediately causin$ us to brea' apart. We turned in time to see my father standin$ at the window% starin$ directly at us. I smac'ed my own forehead. *ow could I ha+e allowed that to happen ri$ht in front of my house- Worst% ri$ht in front of my father3 Do you see what =un$ ,an$ can do to me- *e ma'es me for$et that we are not alone. =un$ ,an$ bowed his head out of courtesy and then wal'ed away% callin$ out% :,ee you tomorrow% =i Won3; I closed my eyes% en+isionin$ the 'iss all o+er a$ain. 5ould I be in lo+e9osh% that sounds so phony% doesn(t it:"A*. !ee =i Won33; My dad bellowed from within the house. Chp.*>- 0he Cha##enge an' Agree"en! S.rprising#y eno.ghB when I entered the house that e+enin$% my father only loo'ed at me% shoo' his head and returned to watchin$ his tele+ision. For a man who 6ust cau$ht his dau$hter 'issin$ the son of his boss% he seemed pretty damn fine about it. =in *yun$% on the other hand% puc'ered out his lips and made 'issin$ sounds at me. :Noona% thats how you 'iss. !i'e a fish3; I slapped the side of his head% feelin$ sli$htly embarrassed in front of the little brat. :What do you 'now about 'issin$% huh-; :2robably more than you3; he retorted% before ta'in$ off upstairs. I was reluctant to face my mother in the 'itchen. Who 'nows what my father had told her. :Auntie3 *ere let me try)))let me try33; I heard "oon ae shout from the 'itchen. I peered o+er to see that "oon ae was wearin$ my mothers flower printed apron% helpin$ my mother out with somethin$. he top half of his hair had been tied bac' from his face. !oo'in$ at him then% I reali>ed that perhaps "oon ae did ha+e a softer side to him. 0eneath his tou$h and cool e&terior% lur'ed a $entler person. ,eein$ that "oon ae had always been $irlfriendless% I was startin$ to suspect that he was $ay. Not to mention that the apron loo'ed better on him than on my mother. :Are you coo'in$% *ero-; I <uestioned from behind them. My <uestion cau$ht him off $uard. *e <uic'ly spun around loo'in$ $uilty and wiped his hands ner+ously on the ed$e of his apron before clearin$ his throat. :Well)))I uh1I was helpin$ your mom ba'e some coo'ies.; :Not so tou$h anymore% huh-; I moc'ed% stridin$ o+er to them to pluc' a coo'ie from the coolin$ rac'. My mother slapped my hand. : heyre still hot.;

I dropped the coo'ie and rubbed my hand. :0ut umma% I always eat them hot.; : heyre not for you.; :Who are they for-; I as'ed% loo'in$ at "oon ae suspiciously. :"oon aes crush%; my mother replied. My mouth $aped opened. :"oon ae has a crush-; "oon ae loo'ed away and I burst out lau$hin$. :And hes tryin$ to 'ill her by poisonin$ her with his coo'ies-; 0oth of them didnt find it amusin$. I stopped immediately. :,o whose idea was this-; My mother pointed to herself as if she was tryin$ to hide the real point from me. :I did. I told him that if he li'es someone% he has to impress the $irl by ba'in$ her coo'ies instead of buyin$ her coo'ies.; ,ince when was "oon ae ta'in$ ad+ices from my mother:My $osh% umma. "ou $ot him ba'in$ coo'ies-; :Aish3 For$et it. Im done3; "oon ae said% tearin$ the apron from his body and throwin$ it aside while stridin$ away an$rily. We both stared after him. :I $uess% he cant ta'e a 6o'e%; I concluded. :"ou made him feel stupid% thats why.; :Why should I ma'e him feel stupid- *es already stupid.; :Now% =i Won. 0e nice to your cousin.; For some reason% I found it stran$e that my mother was defendin$ him. I would ha+e thou$ht she loo'ed at him li'e e+eryone else. :0e nice- "oure tellin$ me to be nice. *a+e you for$otten that you were the one to beat him when he first arri+ed here.; :It was a mista'e. I thou$ht he was one of the $uys that too' =in *yun$.; :Bmma% you cant e+en reco$ni>e your own nephew.; : hats because he loo's li'e a frea'.; I wanted to ar$ue with her but the chimin$ of my phone cut me off. I reached for it to answer% :*ello-; :=i Won. Its me ae Woo.; ae Woo- Why would ae Woo call me- :What is it-; :I want to tal' to you about that other ni$ht1; :#h. hat.; :I wo'e up tied to a tree with only my drawers on.; It was "oon ae. hat bastard. I 'new I couldnt trust him with ae Woo. :Im sorry.; :,orry isnt $oin to do it.; here was a pause. : here was somethin$ else.; :What-; :I had words written on my chest% that read 7rape me% Im drun'.;

#h $osh. :W*A -3; My mother turned to loo' at me. I wal'ed away from her% and started up the stairs towards "oon aes room. :Ill 'ill him% =i Won.; *e was spea'in$ of "oon ae. :No% you wont.; :Dont tempt me.; :What do you want me to do-; :9o out with me for one ni$ht.; I stopped midway on the stairs and sat down. :Are you cra>y- I ha+e a boyfriend.; :I 'now that.; :"our best friend.; :"es.; : hen why are you so damn persistent-; :Ill 'ill him% =i Won. Ill ma'e him pay for what he did.; :*e didnt mean1; :Ill $o o+er ri$ht now and Ill 'ill him.; :Ill tell =un$ ,an$3; I blurted un'nowin$ly. :9o ahead% but thats not $onna stop me from $oin$ o+er and 'illin$ that cousin of yours. =un$ ,an$ also wants to see me 'ic' his ass. Another thin$% Ill 6ust tell =un$ ,an$ that you lied about me as'in$ you out. ,o you ha+e no choice% =i Won.; :I hate you% ae Woo. Im only a$reein$ because I feel sorry for my cousin% not because I want to out with you% you cra>y son)of)a)b8tch3; : omorrow ni$ht sounds $ood% doesnt it-; I didnt say anythin$. I was too an$ry to care. : omorrow it is. ,ee you later% =i Won.; With that% he hun$ up. I stood up% fumin$ with an$er. It was all "oon aes fault. If he had brou$ht ae Woo home safely% none of this would be happenin$.

))) :9et out of my room% =i Won3; "oon ae commanded the moment I entered without botherin$ to 'noc'. :No. "oure $onna ha+e to throw me out%; I countered% shuttin$ the door behind me. "oon ae was already off the bed% char$in$ directly at me. I held out my hands and yelled% :I(ll beha+e. I promise% I will33; *e stopped 6ust inches away% loo'in$ li'e an an$ry beast who was prepared to tear me into shreds. ruthfully% I ne+er witnessed "oon ae this an$ry before% and I had to admit% I was 'ind of scared. hat an$er I held a$ainst him% <uic'ly faded. 5learin$ my throat% I as'ed him% :Whats up-;

*e strode bac' to sit on the ed$e of his bed and I followed% sittin$ ri$ht ne&t to him. : here is a $irl that I li'e. 0ut she doesnt li'e me. I thin' she says Im not her type. ,he doesnt feel the same way% I $uess. ,he says that if I really li'ed her% I would ba'e her coo'ies.; "oor foolish ,oon 1ae. I touched his shoulder. :"ou really li'e her-; *e nodded. :0ut she doesnt li'e you.; "oon ae lifted his face to loo' at me% wantin$ to retort somethin$ but I cut him off. :If a $irl tells you strai$ht up that she doesnt li'e you% then she doesnt li'e you. Now if a $irl tells you she hates you)))thats the type of $irl you dont $i+e up on% because if a $irl uses the hate term with you% she(s tryin$ to co+er up her true feelin$s that she really li'es you))); *e loo'ed lost. :*uh-; I mi$ht as well let him fi$ure it out on his own. :Dont waste your time on someone who isnt willin$ to waste their time on you.; "oon ae rubbed his face tiredly. :Its only a crush. I went o+er my head thin'in$ shell come to li'e me too.; :,he $oes to our school-; I in<uired. *e shoo' his head. :No.; : o some other school-; :,hes not e+en in hi$h school.; :5olle$e student-; *e bobbed his head in response. I slapped the bac' of his head. :No wonder3 Why would she wanna date someone youn$er than she is- ,hes your noona3; *e stood up% $rindin$ his teeth to$ether before blurtin$% :"ah3 Im older than you. Who told you to slap my head-; :#lder% but dumber%; I muttered low enou$h that he couldnt hear. *e brushed the strands that hun$ in his face. :,o you thin' thats the main reason- ,he doesnt li'e me because Im youn$er- In the mo+ies% the $irls always li'es the $uy who is youn$er than her all the time. What about that mo+ie- he mo+ie with the two youn$er $uys who li'es the same $irl who(s older than they are and the other $uy ends up findin$ that it(s his half sister))); D"oon ae)))D D/ Wolf's 'eaction or somethin$ li'e that)))D D/ Wolf's /trraction%D I corrected him. D#h.D D"ou watched it too- I didn(t thin' you(d watch that type of mo+ie.D *e shoo' his head% tryin$ to hide his embarrassment. DI heard. hat(s all. Anyway% do you really thin' that(s the reason-D I stretched myself out on his bed and placed my arms behind my head as I stared dreamily into the ceilin$ abo+e me. When I closed my eyes% 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was 'issin$ me all o+er a$ain. I could feel myself fallin$ into another fantasy. "oon aes <uestion sounded far away from me.

:"ah. Did you hear me-; I opened my eyes and said% :#ne ad+ice% "oon ae. 9o li'e someone who li'es you bac'.; *e plopped down on the bed a$ain. :I dont feel li'e li'in$ anyone anymore.; I turned to him. :Why did you li'e her then-; :2artially for her loo's% but mainly because shes nothin$ li'e the other $irls I 'now who does the chasin$. his time% I chased her. It was a challen$e. "ou 'now1I always li'ed a challen$e.; I 'new that already. It had always been in his nature. "oon ae see's challen$es. *owe+er% this time he had loss the challen$e. *is e$o must be bruised. *e needed some time to $et o+er it. :,pea'in$ of challen$es. 9uess what tomorrow is-; : he contest-; :No.; :What is-; : he match with =un$ ,an$ and I.; I sat up abruptly. :What-3; :Idiot. he pin$)pon$ match with your boyfriend and I. E+eryone is $oin to be there. Were playin$ it under$round style% where there are only a few rules that apply.; :"ou said a match)))it shouldnt ha+e anythin$ to do with under$round style3; I ar$ued% suddenly worried for both of their sa'es. Not only that% but my date with ae Woo was tomorrow too. : hats what you thou$ht. With =un$ ,an$ and I% we 'new what 'ind of match were ha+in$ from the moment I offered him the proposal%; he said with a smile. :0esides that. We did tal' a few times on the phone to discuss the situation o+er.; "oon ae and =un$ ,an$ on the phone- I wonder which one hun$ up on each other first. :,o% what will happen in the end of it-; :!oser will lose somethin$% thats for sure%; "oon ae answered confidently. :Arent you afraid-; I as'ed% because I 'new "oon ae was no match for =un$ ,an$. :Why would I be- Im pretty certain whos $oin$ to win.; :"A*3 Why are you so damn confident-; :I dont ha+e time to ar$ue with you. I need to practice%; "oon ae said% $ettin$ off the bed and $rabbin$ for his $ym ba$. I sat there contemplatin$ on the fact that either one of them was $oin$ to $et hurt in the end or it would $et +ery messy. ))) 20hir' PersonEs POJ3 "oon ae rode his bi'e in front of the abandoned warehouse. #nce he par'ed% his $a>e drifted off to the dar' buildin$ before him. *e noticed the dim li$ht that came from within. he person was waitin$ for him% 6ust li'e he e&pected. 4emo+in$ his helmet% he placed it on his bi'e before throwin$ his $ym ba$ across one shoulder and proceeded inside. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ sat comfortably on the 2in$)2on$ table% with one le$ dan$lin$ bac' and forth impatiently. *is $a>e was

focused on the rac'et that he held in front of him. :"oure late% prettyboy%; he remar'ed ruefully% the moment "oon ae appeared. :"ou must really li'e my hairstyle to call me prettyboy%; "oon ae said% as he strode o+er to him. :Were you countin$ the seconds- I didnt thin' youd miss me that much.; =un$ ,an$ lifted his cool $a>e o+er at "oon ae. :Huit dreamin$.; "oon ae reached for a ci$arette to place between his lips% as he went to stand ne&t to =un$ ,an$ who hadnt bud$e from his spot. :=i Won worries that youll $et hurt.; : he only one capable of $ettin$ hurt is you%; came the retort from =un$ ,an$. :And dont you try li$htin$ that thin$ ne&t to me. I disli'e ci$arette smo'es.; "oon ae shaped his mouth into an 7o% as if he had done somethin$ offensi+e toward =un$ ,an$. And then he bowed his head in apolo$y. :I am sorry% master.; =un$ ,an$ finally slid off the table to lean a$ainst his with his arms folded sternly in front of him. :"ou do reali>e what were $ettin$ into% dont you-; :I do.; :Its not $oin$ to be as clean as you thin'.; :I+e seen them play. heyre always messy.; :I cant afford to ha+e you falter either% "oon ae. hese $uys will see that youll do that.; :I 'now that.; =un$ ,an$ turned to re$ard him with seriousness. : his is more than 6ust a match. If were $oin$ to be teammates% the least you can do is show me that youre really ner+ous.; :"ou arent. Why should I-; :0ecause Im not li'e you.; "oon ae raised his hands as if he surrendered. :Alri$ht. Alri$ht. If you want to 'now if Im ner+ous% I am. 0ut a $uy li'e me has ne+er showed his opponents that hes ner+ous so why would I show you-; =un$ ,an$ smiled as if he was satisfied with the answer. :Alri$ht. !ets be$in then. Ill teach you the tactics.; "oon ae nodded. :And Ill teach you theirs.; Chp.,0- 0he Sna!ch %.ng Sang sho;e' .p at my door around fi+e ocloc'. *idin$ behind him was his niece. ,he po'ed her head out and $a+e me a bri$ht smile with her flushed dimpled chee's. :*i% =i Won.; :*i%; I said in return% findin$ it difficult to eye my own boyfriend after that con+ersation with ae Woo from the pre+ious ni$ht. And who could blame me- wo more hours and Id ha+e to $o on that date with him. I was still debatin$ on whether or not to spill it out to =un$ ,an$. =un$ ,an$% bein$ his blunt self% decided to as'% :"ah. Whats wron$ with you- Why arent you loo'in$ at me-; I i$nored him while puttin$ on my slippers% and stepped outside with them. :Whats up-; :Were $oin$ out for ice)cream and then were $oin$ to watch a mo+ie3; Na)Na said e&citedly. :4emember what you promised% =i Won-; I dont remember promisin$ anythin$. No doubt Na)Na had fabricated that little lie to $et me to 6oin her.

=un$ ,an$ smiled while loo'in$ down at his niece. :,he was bored. I thou$ht Id brin$ her o+er.; I forced a fa'e smile on my face and leaned in closer to mutter in his ear. :0ut your match is today% =un$ ,an$.; *e placed both hands on his nieces shoulders and $uided her forward. : hats why I brou$ht her o+er. "oure not $oin$ to that match. I wont allow it.; :0ut)))D =un$ ,an$ had already turned his bac' on me before I could anythin$ more. : a'e $ood care of her. And dont worry about me. Ill be fine.; Fine- *e 'new nothin$ about bein$ fine. *is (fine( was a bro'en arm in a cast. here was still so much I wanted to say to him. "ou could also say that there was still so much was on my mind that I was left baffled and speechless. Na)Na turned to re$ard me. :Dont worry. We can still $o watch him play.; :What-; I as'ed% with my eyes wide. :I 'now where theyre playin$. I o+erheard =un$ ,an$ on the phone.; A$ain% I almost for$ot that she was only a 'id. A really smart one at that. ,he sounded so certain that I had no choice but to belie+e her. I thou$ht bac' to my soon!to!be date with ae Woo and wondered if Na)Na could help me $et out of it. :I ha+e a problem% Na)Na.; :What-; :Well...; I spilled it all to Na)Na. ,he had listened intently and patiently until I was finished and then finally decided to spea' out. :,imple. 5all him and tell him that youre stuc' baby)sittin$ me.; :*ell thin' its an e&cuse to $et out of the date.; : hats why you should let him spea' to me after you e&plain to him 6ust to $et him to belie+e us.; I felt li'e a mindless idiot% compared to Na)Na. In fact% I didnt li'e the fact that she made me feel li'e one. :Fine. Well do it.; ))) :I see. Its o'ay.; here was a pause on the other end of the line. I bet ?im ae Woo was contemplatin$ on what to say ne&t. :Well brin$ her alon$. ,he seems li'e a well)beha+ed 'id.; :What-3; I burst in response. :"eah. heres nothin$ wron$ with that. I 'now Na)Na.; :"#B IDI# 3. "#B D#N FIND AN" *IN9 W4#N9 WI * 9#IN9 #B WI * "#B4 0E, F4IEND, 9I4!F4IEND AND 04IN9IN9 *I, NIE5E A!#N9 #N *E DA E- W*A 2!ANE A4E "#B F4#M% "#B ,E!FI,* M#4#N-33; Na)Na tapped my hand to remind me that we werent at home. I almost for$ot that we were seated inside the ice)cream parlor. 2eople were eyein$ us stran$ely. I co+ered the phone with my hand and apolo$i>ed to e+eryone around us before $oin$ on the phone a$ain. :I thin' its wron$% ae Woo.; *e almost snorted. :Are you for$ettin$ that your cousin is playin$ a$ainst =un$ ,an$ today- I ha+e ways to ma'e him lose e+en faster.;

:"ou cant do this to me% ae Woo)))D Na)Na had already $rabbed the phone from my $rasp and was spea'in$ to ae Woo herself. :?IM AE W##3 "#B ,#4E !#,E4. I WI!! E!! =BN9 ,AN9 A0#B W*A "#B4E 4"IN9 # D# # =I W#N. "#B F#45E =I W#N #N *I, DA E AND I WI!! E!! =BN9 ,AN9 A!! A0#B "#B4 4BE IN EN I#N, #WA4D, =I W#N . HBI 4"IN9 # A5 !I?E A W#BNDED D#9 AND 9E #@E4 I 333; And that was all it too' to $et us 'ic'ed out of there. ))) :We ha+e no choice. he bastard wont $i+e up%; I said% placin$ my phone away as we strode down the street. Na)Na was beside me% finishin$ the last bit of her ice cream. :Fine. Well $o on the date. I will ma'e his life a li+in$ hell. =ust watch.; he 'id was more determined than I was. And you could say that I was $rateful to ha+e her there. I patted her head and said% : han's for bein$ here% Na)Na. I dont 'now what I would do if you werent here.; ,he smiled her adorable smile at me. Ne&t thin$ I 'new% a blac' slee' car pulled up alon$ the side of the street and hon'ed at us. he car window rolled down and I had to propel Na)Na to the other side of me. A head po'ed out. It was a bald man wearin$ e&pensi+e shades and suit. :"ah3 "ou two. 9et in.; If it was my $uess% ?im ae Woo was behind this. *e was probably tryin$ to impress me by sendin$ a dri+er to pic' us up. Na)Na clamped her fin$ers ti$htly around my arm% causin$ me to tense up. :!ets run% =i Won.; I $lanced down at her and spo'e softly. :Dont worry. Its ?im ae Woo. *e probably sent these $uys to pic' us up.; he $uy was too busy pic'in$ at his teeth to care. *a+ent this loser e+er heard of floss:0ut what if)))D :Its o'ay% Na)Na. We ha+e to do this. We ha+e to do this and $et it o+er with so we can $o watch =un$ ,an$ play.; he $uy finally craned his head to ac'nowled$e us a$ain. :"ah3 What the f8c' is wron$ with you two- 9et in the car. "eesh3; he bastard was e&tremely rude. I was suddenly ha+in$ second thou$hts about him. :Aish3 Dont ma'e me $et out of this car and dra$ both your asses in3; the $uy yelled. I had to dra$ the reluctant Na)Na inside the car. #nce we were seated inside% the car started to mo+e. Na)Na clamped her hands around my arm e+en ti$hter than before. :=i Won. "ou didnt listen to me. I was $oin$ to tell you that ?im ae Woo doesnt ha+e a dri+er.; I went fri$id% $lancin$ at the dri+er and the bald $uy seated ne&t to him. he bald $uy turned his head and smiled at us% re+ealin$ his two front $old teeth. 4eali>ations washed o+er me li'e a tidal wa+e. *ow could I ha+e been so stupid to 6ump to conclusions- ?im ae Woo probably didnt send these bastards. hese bastards were probably complete stran$ers sent to 'idnap us. For what reason- I dont ha+e a sin$le damn clue. Lee Ji Won- ,ou stu$id foolish girl. .ow could you let this ha$$en( I felt my eyes be$in to water% my heart poundin$ out of control and beads of sweat were startin$ to form on my forehead. I reached out to ta'e Na)Nas hand and whispered% :Im sorry for bein$ stupid. I thin' were in bi$ trouble.; he only $ood thin$ that came out of this was that we had a reason to ditch this date with ?im ae Woo. he bad side to

itWere probably $oin$ to die. ))) 0lindfolded with both our wrists bounded behind us% we were bein$ led to some un'nown place. I 'ept cryin$ the entire way there. I was told to shut up countless of times already. Na)Na was the one who 'ept tryin$ to comfort me. "eah% I was the wimp fallin$ out of my wits to remain calm. :Aish3 0e <uiet or Ill slap your mouth3; the one $uy shouted in my ear. And yet a$ain% I was $reeted by the spittle of sali+a on the side of my face. :Do you ha+e to spit when you yell-; I felt a smac' on the side of my head. :Who told you to tal' bac'-; It was the other $uy who said% :"oure the dumbass. If you were smart% you should ha+e co+ered her mouth rather than her)))oof; #of:,h8t. he little b8tch 6ust 'ic'ed me in the nuts3; Na)Na was bold enou$h enou$h to do that:0ut shes blindfolded3; the one near me% shouted. :*ow the f8c' does she 'now where your balls are-; :"ou didnt tie my blindfold ti$ht enou$h% you dumbasses3; I heard Na)Na shout. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% I heard footsteps runnin$ all o+er the place with the two $uys shoutin$ and cursin$ for Na)Na. :I $ot her3; the one yelled. :"ou asshIle. "ou $ot my le$3 Now $o and turn on the f8c'in li$hts. We cant see sh8t3; I felt Na)Nas small $rip around my arm% dra$$in$ me with her. :!ets $o3; I ran alon$ with her% as fast as my le$s could ta'e me. :=i Won. Not too fast)))D W*AM3 I slammed into the wall. Fallin$ bac' on my behind% I felt my head spinnin$. For a moment I became sli$htly disoriented until Na)Na shoo' me out of it% tryin$ to force me to stand. :5ome% =i Won. We ha+e to hurry. heyre catchin$ up3; his time% I let Na)Na run ahead of me. We ran for half a minute before she told me to stop. :Do you hear that% =i Won- It sounds li'e people. A lot of people. !i'e an arena.; ,he was ri$ht. It sounded faint to my ears. :Do you thin' were in some 'ind of arena-; I as'ed. :Wait% let me open this door.; he sound $rew louder and louder% when finally we were $reeted by the sound of some announcer and the audiences screams% li'e they were watchin$ some wrestlin$ match. :"ou ha+e to see this% =i Won%; Na)Na said% comin$ o+er to untie my wrists and pulled down the blindfold. I let my eyes ad6ust to the si$ht before me. Indeed we were in some 'ind of arena. It was ri$ht where I wanted to be. he pin$)pon$ match. here in the center% was !ee "oon ae and 2ar' =un$ ,an$ playin$ a$ainst two other people. I noticed that "oon ae was almost limpin$% li'e he had twisted his an'le. =un$ ,an$ had a small cut on his under his left chee'bone. And if he was hurt elsewhere% he didnt show it. he opposin$ team both had bruises all o+er their faces. hey were in the middle of playin$ their match and Na)Na and myself had bar$ed in on them une&pectedly.

A sound of a $unshot erupted into the air and the announcer shouted% : ime out3; I held Na)Na close to me% feelin$ the eyes of audience closin$ in on us. All in all% we were the center of e+eryone(s attention. 0oth =un$ ,an$ and "oon ae turned to notice us. I $a+e =un$ ,an$ a desperate loo'. :We found you two3; he bastards had cau$ht up to us. I felt his hand on me% pryin$ me apart from Na)Na I was shoutin$% 'ic'in$ and screamin$. :=BN9 ,AN9% *E!2 B,33; =un$ ,an$ was already mo+in$ towards us when the announcer shouted% :Finish the match33; :F8c' off33; =un$ ,an$ shouted in return. he announcer commanded his two $uys to attac' =un$ ,an$. "oon ae decided to ta'e them on by himself. =un$ ,an$ was rushin$ up toward us when a do>en or more $uys stood up to bloc' his path. All at once% they be$an to attac' him% formin$ a circle around him% causin$ me to lose si$ht of his body. :=BN9 ,AN93 N###333; I cried out with tears in my eyes% still fi$htin$ off the $rip around my arms. I <uic'ly loo'ed to "oon ae who was fi$htin$ on the table% 'ic'in$ any $uy who came close to him. Another $uy he tried to 'ic'% $rabbed his foot and threw him off the table. 0lood s<uirted from his mouth when he struc' the $round. hree more $uys be$an to surround him from all sides. :"##N AE333; I shouted in helplessness. ,omethin$ struc' the side of my captors head% 'noc'in$ down with full force. I turned to see ?im ae Woo standin$ there with a steel bat in his hand with a crowd of ten to twenty $uys behind him. :Are you o'ay% =i Won-; he as'ed with his face full of concern. I nodded% feelin$ $lad that he had showed up. *e raised his bat in the air and shouted% :9E *IM 9B",33; What happened ne&t% I dont remember because I fell unconscious. *owe+er% I do remember seein$ 2ar' =un$ ,an$s bloodied and bruised face starin$ down at me. And 6ust bein$ in the comfort of his arms% I 'new that I was safe. Chp.,1- Knoc) aro.n' DoshB yo. ;o.#' !hin) !ha! after openin$ my eyes% I would see =un$ ,an$s face ho+erin$ o+er me. Instead% I found myself seated on a chair in some dar' room that resembled some 'ind of interro$atin$ room. o ma'e matters worst% the same bald)headed asshIle was spittin$ in my face as he tried to wa'e me with his relentless shoutin$. We were the only two in the room to$ether. I started to worry a$ain. Huestions started to swarm me. Where was Na)NaWhere was =un$ ,an$- Where was e+eryone else and why the hell does my face hurt so muchWhen I tried to shift in my seat% I felt a sli$ht stin$ in my chee'. :What1happened-; I as'ed% loo'in$ around the small dimly lit room% tryin$ to $ather my thou$hts to$ether. he last I remember% I was in =un$ ,an$s arms. *e was bleedin$ and in6ured. ?im ae Woo had come to the rescue. We had escaped from the bastards. ,o what was I doin$ there:I 'noc'ed you out when we were in the car% remember-; baldy stated. hat wasnt the answer that I wanted to hear. ruly% this $uy had issues. :*uh- "ou did-; :"eah. *ow can you not remember- When you reali>ed that you were bein$ 'idnapped% you attac'ed me. ,o thats when I 'noc'ed you out.; hen what was this idiot tryin$ to tell me- hat my little escape with Na)Na didnt e+en happened at all- I was $rowin$ e&tremely confused at this point. I shoo' my head and said% :No. It doesnt ma'e any sense. We escaped from you. hen we ended up in some 'ind of pin$)pon$ arena and 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was there.;

he mans e&pression was lost. *e scratched his baldhead. :Aish. I thin' you lost it. "ou ne+er did $et away from us. "ou+e been unconscious all this time. Bntil now% of course.; I was still sha'in$ my head% refusin$ to belie+e any of it. I thin' I+e been brainwashed. hese $uys must ha+e done somethin$ to me. 5learly% all of this was made up. I couldnt ha+e been dreamin$ it all. #r could I:I 'noc'ed you unconscious because you bit my arm.; *e brou$ht out a mirror from out of nowhere. :*ere% ta'e a loo' at your face. Maybe youll remember.; he reflection in the mirror belon$ed to some creature% not to pretty !ee =i Won. *alf of my face was swollen with redness that could only be described as 7u$ly. My forehead was no different. he bruise was increasin$ to the si>e of a plum. his could possibly be the worst for me. *ow could I face anyone with a face such as this- I pouted and started to wail hysterically% refusin$ to belie+e that the hea+ens had finally decided to punish me with such u$liness. :As for the bruisin$ on the forehead. I wasnt careful when I carried you out% so you 'ind of1hit a$ainst the car door1; he trailed off% unwillin$ to e&plain further than that. hat would e&plain the 7runnin$)into)the)wall bit. I dreamt it all. I ima$ined it all in my head. here was no =un$ ,an$ or "oon ae or ae Woo. here was no pin$)pon$ arena and there was ob+iously not $oin$ to be any escape now. Feelin$ helpless% I cried. 0aldy <uic'ly placed the mirror aside and shifted his chair closer% attemptin$ to calm me down. :!oo'. Its o'ay. It isnt that bad. "ou want some ice-; I blin'ed twice% wonderin$ where in the hell he was actually $oin$ to find some ice% and then I cried some more because I 'new that I was stuc' with him. :Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh3; he door was suddenly thrown opened and a mysterious fi$ure appeared. I stopped my cryin$ to stare at the fi$ure. =ud$in$ from the silhouette% it was a $irls fi$ure. Na)NaNo% she was too tall to be Na)Na. When she came closer% I saw the fi$ure in the li$ht. he unmista'able face belon$ed to ,hin *ye Min. ,hin *ye MinI finally understood it all. ,hin *ye Min had to be behind the plot of 'idnappin$. his was how it wor'ed in the stories and mo+ies. Most li'ely% this was $oin$ to happen in my life too. I could see it in the headlines now. "sychotic e< tries to force her former lover back by doing something e<tremely stu$id. :"ah3 his isnt a runway. *urry your ass in there3; A fi$ure from behind yelled% pushin$ ,hin *ye Min inside. ,o I was wron$ with my assumptions. 5ant help it if *ye Min portrays herself as the anta$onist. I $uess I shouldnt feel so bad now. ,hin *ye Min is here with me)))if thats somehow 'ind of reassurin$% which Im $uessin$ it wont be. he first few words that escaped from her mouth was% :Eww% loo' at your face.; Did she ha+e to remind me- 9osh. ,he then pointed accusin$ly at me. :If it werent for you% I wouldnt be here you selfish b8tch.; o my response% I said% :*ow is it my fault-; :I followed you and that little brat% and they cau$ht me.; :Well who told you to follow me- My $osh. *ow stupid can you be-; :"oure spea'in$ of stupid- Whos the idiot who decided to 6ump into some stran$ers car-; ,pea'in$ of stupidity. ,he had a point. A +ery $ood one. #'ay% so I admit. We all do stupid thin$s. hat)))was one of them% and probably the most stupid. :Well)))who the hell 'new they were 'idnappers- I thou$ht they were ae Woos

dri+ers3; I ar$ued. he two men e&chan$ed $lances at each other. : ae Woo doesnt ha+e a dri+er% you idiot3; I reali>ed that she only wanted to win the ar$ument% not because she wanted to pro+e a point. I wont let her win. :And how the hell was I supposed to 'now that% huh- Am I psychic-3; :No. =ust stupid.; B$h. I thin' Im losin$. :"ou 'now what- 2erhaps you li'ed to shut your hole because of this moment we are in a +ery bad situation.; *ye Min loo'ed at the two men and strode o+er to sit ne&t to me% mumblin$% :I nearly for$ot.; ,o I win. I muttered in a low tone. :Why were you followin$ us-; *ye Min loo'ed at me as if my <uestion cau$ht her off $uard. :I wanted to find out whether you 'new where the $uys were $oin$ to play.; I 'ept my $a>e on the two men in front of us. 0aldy as'ed his friend. :"ah3 Wheres the little one-; hey were spea'in$ of Na)Na. hey had to be. he other man spun around and said% :,h8t. ,he was 6ust holdin$ my hand a second a$o.; :And why the hell was she holdin$ onto your hand- I thou$ht her wrists were tied-; 0aldy <uestioned his accomplice. :Well% she had to pee% so I had to untie her. he way she as'ed me. It was too cute so I $a+e in.; :Why didnt you 6ust pull down her pants for her% you dumbass f8c'er3; : hats per+erted3; 0aldy slapped the other man on the forehead. :Its not per+erted if you dont loo'% you stupid moron3; It was our turn to e&chan$ed $lances. I nud$ed at *ye Min to $et her to untie my wrists. ,he complied immediately. ,he was actually listenin$. 2erhaps she wasnt all that bad:,h8t. I bro'e a nail%; she hissed. I sure do hope Na)Na was runnin$ to the cops at this moment. ,he was the only one who could sa+e us now. :9o find her now3; 0aldy commanded. he other $uy inclined his head and left throu$h the doorway. Meanwhile% ,hin *ye Min 6ust finished untyin$ my bindin$s. I stood up in defiance% prepared to do somethin$ to 0aldy. 0aldy turned to us and a chair struc' him in the face% causin$ him to sta$$er bac' a few steps before fallin$ on his behind. hat was *ye Min(s doin$. We both ran out the doorway and I felt *ye Min holdin$ onto my arm as if she thou$ht I would protect her. he place was dar'. We were in some 'ind of abandoned warehouse. *ye Min 'ept cryin$ and mumblin$ to herself while I was tryin$ to be careful not to hurt myself in the dar'. We heard baldy shoutin$ after us. :5ome bac'3 9et bac' here. "oull pay for this33; I loo'ed o+er my shoulder to see whether he was followin$ us and the moment I turned bac'% I ran into somethin$. It

wasnt the wall. It was a body. A $uys body. *e encircled his arms around me% and I stru$$led a$ainst him. :=un$ ,an$3; I heard *ye Min called out. =un$ ,an$Ne&t thin$ I 'new% *ye Min had sho+ed me aside and threw herself at =un$ ,an$. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ stood there $larin$ at me from under his brows as he allowed *ye Min to clin$ onto him. :=un$ie oppa. Im scared. Im +ery scared.; =un$ie oppa- ,he had a nic'name for him- hat 6ust pro+ed me to me how close the two had been. I was an$ry to be honest. #ne moment we were helpin$ each other and in the ne&t% she was pushin$ me away from =un$ ,an$. 0ut then a$ain% she 'new him lon$er than I had. he least I could do was $i+e them their time. A hand touched my shoulder and I turned enou$h to see that "oon ae was standin$ there loo'in$ from me to =un$ ,an$ and then *ye Min. :"ou o'ay- "ou dont loo' o'ay.; I nodded% feelin$ a mi&ed of emotions. I couldnt fi$ure whether I was an$ry or upset to see the two of them to$ether% loc'ed in an embrace. Na)Na came up from behind "oon ae and smiled up at me% ta'in$ holdin$ my hand. :I did it% =i Won. I $ot away from them and used your phone to call =un$ ,an$.; I patted her head and drew her a$ainst me. :Im $lad. "oure such a smart $irl% Na)Na.; ,he held me ti$htly a$ainst her. :I 'now how youre feelin$ ri$ht now% =i Won. Dont worry. !et her ha+e her moment. Itll be o+er soon.; :"A*3 "oure all $onna die33; a +oice ran$ out. We all turned to see baldy standin$ there with blood runnin$ down his nose. ,hin *ye Min had $ood aimG I had to $i+e her some credit for that. I turned to see that =un$ ,an$ had bro'e away from *ye Min and stood there with a murderous $lare at baldy. =un$ ,an$ loo'ed plain cool wearin$ a hoodie with a blac' leather 6ac'et o+er it. *is blac' 6eans% loo'in$ a little too ba$$y made him appear as if he belon$ed to some $an$. *e had some blac' cloth wrapped around his palms. I rec'oned "oon ae made him wear the clothes because he was dressed no differently. E&cept "oon ae loo'ed a bit more $othic% wearin$ a leather do$ collar around his nec' and)))eyeliner:Was it you-3; =un$ ,an$ as'ed the man. For a moment% baldy loo'ed <uite sha'en. :"es.; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ lifted his chin up when he said% :"oull die today.; I felt the chill from his words because I 'new he meant it. Its always wron$ to piss off 2in$2on$0oy. :"oure apart of 0i$ Noses men% arent you-; =un$ ,an$ as'ed. :*e ordered you to 'idnap my niece and my $irlfriend to try to distract me while Im playin$ so that I would lose% correct-; I almost smiled when he mentioned 7my $irlfriend. 0aldy nodded. :I was 6ust doin$ as I was told.; =un$ ,an$ pointed at me. :0ut her face. !oo' at her face. It doesnt suit her. !ee =i Won isnt meant to loo' u$ly.; I didnt 'now whether to ta'e that as a compliment or an insult. I dont thin' Ill e+er $et used to =un$ ,an$s blunt words. I reached for "oon aes arm. :I cant bare to watch whats $onna happen ne&t.; "oon ae placed an arm around my shoulder and held me close to him. :Dont worry. his is it. his will be the last of it.

We won% =i Won. We 'ic'ed their sorry asses. We won the match.; :What do you mean- I thou$ht you were playin$ a$ainst each other-; :Nah% were teammates.; =ust li'e I dreamt. hey were on the same side. :0ut I thou$ht)))D *e cut me off. :Ill e&plain later.; =un$ ,an$ was approachin$ baldy now with slow steps. :"oon ae. 0rin$ them out. Ma'e sure they $et home safely.; "oon ae too' hold of Na)Nas arm and then forced me alon$ with him. *ye Min ta$$ed alon$ after us. I pried myself away from "oon aes $rip. ,pinnin$ around I shouted% :"A*% 2A4? =BN9 ,AN9 "#B 0A, A4D. W*A MA?E, "#B *IN? ID !EA@E "#B *E4E A!#NE% *B*-33; *is response to me was% :If you want to ma'e it harder on me% then youre free to stay3; :If you $et hurt% whos $onna help carry you home-; I as'ed% feelin$ my eyes burnin$. : hats where your wron$% =i Won. I dont $et hurt.; hen he attac'ed 0aldy before I could say anythin$ more. :=i Won. Ill see you at home%; "oon ae called to me. I turned and inclined my head. *ye Min loo'ed at us both and then flic'ered her $a>e o+er to =un$ ,an$. :"oure cra>y for stayin$% =i Won. Im $oin$ home.; 5y loyalty lies with my boyfriend) you selfish b*tch- I wanted to shout in response. I watched them $o before turnin$ my attention bac' to =un$ ,an$ and 0aldy. It was o+er before I 'new it. 0aldy was sprawled on his bac'% with his face loo'in$ worst than mine because his two front teeth were missin$. =un$ ,an$ 'ept a foot on the fallen mans chest. : ell your boss. Winnin$ isnt a +ictory. @ictory comes from%; he tapped his temple% :here.D And then he touched his to where his heart was% Dand here.D With that% he strode toward me with his e&pression unfa>ed. *oldin$ out his arm% he said% :!ets $et you home.; I placed my hand in his while we strode out to$ether. ))) I was sittin$ inside =un$ ,an$s apartment% lettin$ him tend to my face. :#w. #w. #w33; I wailed% flinchin$ when =un$ ,an$ dab at my face with a cotton ball. *e was applyin$ some 'ind of cold ointment with the cotton ball and he was doin$ a poor 6ob at it too. I should ha+e $uess that he didnt 'now how to be $entle. I stole a $lance at his passi+e face. *e remained e&pressionless e+er since we left the warehouse. I wondered what 'ept him so <uiet. 0efore we start the blamin$ $ame% I was $oin$ to spea' for myself first. :=un$ ,an$. Im sorry. Its my fault. I $ot into that car and Na)NaUD *e cut me off. :I 'now.; :"ou do-; *e placed the cotton ball away and used his fin$ers to $ently probe the side of my face. I e&pected to flinch% but he was $entler than I thou$ht. :I 'now about your situation with ?im ae Woo.;

*is fin$ers felt li'e cool sil'% teasin$ a$ainst my s'in. :Did Na)Na tell you e+erythin$-; :,he always tells me e+erythin$.; #nce he was done% he stared at my face and said% :Why didnt you tell me that he was doin$ this-; he e&pression bro'e my heart. *e thou$ht I didnt trust him enou$h to tell him. :I didnt 'now how. I mean with the match)))D :*e shouldnt ha+e done that.; :I dont understand% =un$ ,an$. I dont understand a person li'e ?im ae Woo.; =un$ ,an$ leaned bac' a$ainst the lo+eseat and s<uee>ed the brid$e of his nose. :What is there to understand- No $irl will e+er come to understand a $uy li'e ae Woo.; *e swallowed bac' before he said% :*es hurtin$.; :What do you mean% hes hurtin$-; :*is parents 6ust recently $ot a di+orce. *is mother is lea+in$ him and his father for another man. *es the only child. 9rowin$ up% his parents $a+e him e+erythin$ he e+er wanted% but they ne+er did $i+e him any proper lo+in$. hey were ne+er there for him. Many times% his parents ne+er bother to pic' him up after school% and they seldom show up for the special e+ents at school. hats why he beha+es the way he does. *e adores attention because he doesnt recei+e any at home.; =un$ ,an$ reached out to entwine his fin$ers with mine. :If I as' you to $o to him. Would you do that for me% =i Won-; I wanted to protest when =un$ ,an$ said% :=ust do this once for him% =i Won. *e needs you.; I couldnt understand =un$ ,an$s intention. *is own best friend nearly betrayed him and this was how he was $oin$ to repay him- :0ut Im your $irlfriend. "oure $onna let your $irlfriend $o to another $uy- Whats wron$ with you-3; *e shut his eyes and leaned his head bac'. I was left to stare at his handsome profile. :Im only doin$ this because I trust you% not because Im tryin$ to push you away. ,o $o now.; :No3; *e opened his eyes and $a+e me dead serious e&pression. :Dont ma'e me raise my +oice at you. 9o3; I shoo' my head in refusal. =un$ ,an$ $rabbed my wrists and forced me off the lo+eseat% dra$$in$ me to his door. :If you dont $o% Ill dra$ you out3; I tried to fi$ht a$ainst him throu$h my blurred +ision of tears. :2lease% =un$ ,an$. Dont ma'e me do this. I want to be here with you. 2lease3; I be$$ed. *e paused to thin' about somethin$ and then he opened the door and pushed me out. I turned% only to ha+e him slam the door in my face. 0eatin$ the door with my balled fists% I shouted to him. :"ah3 If you do this to me% Ill lea+e. I wont come bac' to you. I wont see your face a$ain% =un$ ,an$. Dont do this33; here was no response at the other end. :=un$ ,an$- Answer me% dammit33; I cried louder. :"ou bastard. #pen the door. Is this your way of tryin$ to $et rid of me-3; I pounded on the door until I tired myself out. ,lidin$ a$ainst the door% I sat down% hu$$in$ my 'nees to$ether. eary)eyed and e&hausted% I mumbled to myself. :*ow can I $o to someone I dont li'e- Do you thin' its that easy- "ou cant force me to do somethin$ I dont want to% =un$ ,an$. Why are you so persistent in $ettin$ me to $o to ?im ae Woo- hat $uy isnt 9od. *es 6ust a re$ular a+era$e e+eryday $uy with a pretty face thats probably hurtin$ li'e e+eryone else. It doesnt ma'e him special% =un$ ,an$. "hear me-3 It doesnt ma'e him special33; he ne&t thin$ I 'new% the door opened swiftly% causin$ me to fall bac' a$ainst the floor% and lea+in$ me to stare up at

=un$ ,an$s smilin$ face. :Im sorry I doubted you% =i Won. Im $lad you didnt choose ae Woo o+er me.; *e s<uatted down and helped me to sit up. :,top cryin$. "ou loo' e+en worst than you do.; My hand automatically shot out to slap him hard a$ainst the face. :"ou f8c'in bastard. hat was a test% wasnt it- "ou wanted to see whether or not Id $o runnin$ to ae Woo.; *e touched his bottom lip and winced his face in pain and shoo' his head. :Im sorry.; :,orry- "ou 6ust made me loo' li'e a fool3; *e wanted to say somethin$ else% but I pushed him away so I could stand up to lea+e throu$h the door. :9ood f8c'in ni$ht3; =un$ ,an$ cau$ht up to me and wrapped both his arms from behind% placin$ his chin on my shoulder. :Dont lea+e yet. Im sorry. Ill ma'e it up to you.; I wiped at my eyes li'e a little child. :Why do you test me% =un$ ,an$- "ou should already 'now the answers.; :If it ma'es you feel any better. Ill stop from now on. No more tests.; I didnt 'now how to respond to that. :I ta'e it% that Im for$i+en-; No answer. *e leaned his head bac' to loo' at my face. :Ill 'iss you if you dont say anythin$.; : hat isnt a threat =un$ ,an$. hat is a reward.; *e smiled. :I 'now.; Chp.,* - 0he Wan'erer $KO<4 B4O0H:4B %I WONG& hat was my mother frea'in$ out. he day hasnt ended yet. he moment I entered the house% she attac'ed me with a broom in her hand% bombardin$ me with <uestions about =in *yun$s disappearance. he little brat had $one out without lettin$ my mother 'now and he still hadnt returned. My father on the other hand was failin$ at his attempt to stop her from chasin$ me around the house. he reason why I was runnin$ was because my mother preferred to use the stic' end of the broom. I held my hands up% in a surrenderin$ $esture. :Bmma3 5ant you see that your own dau$hter is in6ured-3; :And what about =in *yun$- *e could be sufferin$ ri$ht now. *e could be 'idnapped and1; she trailed off% droppin$ the broom as she cried a$ainst my fathers shoulder. I felt an$ry because my mother failed to notice that her own dau$hter was the one that she needed to worry about% not the little spoil brat who was probably out% ha+in$ the time of his life. I clenched my fists and bit my ton$ue% pre+entin$ myself from sayin$ somethin$ stupid. My father $a+e me one of his 7we)ha+e)to)do)somethin$)about)this e&pressions. :"our mother has been tryin$ to contact you for the past two hours.; I thou$ht about my own 'idnappin$ and reali>ed that I didnt ha+e my phone with me. Na)Na had ta'en the phone% but she ne+er returned it. It was no wonder why she couldnt reach me. :I lost my phone% somewhere. I dont 'now.; :"ou and1Mr. 2ar's son. =un$ ,an$ is his name% ri$ht- Were you with him-; my father in<uired further. I couldnt lie% especially not to my father. :"es.;

My mother pushed away from my father and said% :I+e heard thin$s about him and they(re not $ood thin$s% =i Won. *ow could you date someone li'e him-; I 'new my mother. ,he only said that because she was upset o+er =in *yun$. ,he ne+er disappro+ed of our relationship in the first place. As a matter of fact% she did not care at all% until that moment. It was another e&cuse for her to $et upset and hysterical. :Bmma)))D :BMMA33; a +oice echoed me. here came =in *yun$% runnin$ towards my mother with opened arms. ,he returned the $esture and pulled him close before holdin$ him bac' to loo' at his face. !ee =in *yun$ had a blac' eye. I would ha+e lau$hed out loud% but considerin$ that my own face wasn(t better% I 'ept my mouth shut. Im tellin$ you% it didnt ma'e the situation any better. I wasnt $oin$ to e+en as' him how he $ot that blac' eye. I bet the 'id deser+ed it. :My $osh child% what happened to your face-; hat was the <uestion that I e&pected to hear from her when I entered. I was wron$ to e&pect it. !ee =in *yun$% bein$ his de+iant self turned to me and said% :,ome older $uys pic'ed on me. As'% =i Won. ,he was there at the time% thats why her face is more messed up than mine.; he little bastard had an alibi. I didnt hesitate when launched myself at him. :=IN *"BN93 "#B !I !E 0EA, 33;

My father too' hold of my arms as I stuc' my foot him to 'ic' him hard in the rear% forcin$ him to stumble into my mother who nearly lost her balance too. My mother put herself in front of the brat% afraid that I would do harm a$ainst her only boy. :!ee =i Won. 9o to your room3; she commanded tartly. I $lared at =in *yun$% who cowered behind my mother li'e some scared puppy. :Why umma- "oure $onna belie+e that little brat-3; :*ow dare you spea' bac' to me that way-3; my mother burst in response. Its ne+er a clean ar$ument whene+er I came in confrontation with my mother. :0ut umma% you ha+e to listen to me)))D :!isten- I am your mother% youn$ lady. "ou listen to me33; #f course% my father had to 6oin in. :"ou hit her with a broom and you e&pect her to listen to you-; ,o there I was% cau$ht up in a heated confrontation with my mother and then I reali>ed that I really didnt want to be there. Why- 0ecause it was more than I could handle for the day. I didnt li'e bein$ wron$fully accused of somethin$ that I didnt do. I needed solace. I needed time alone. I needed the feel of 2ar' =un$ ,an$s arms wrapped ti$htly around me. I needed somethin$ of comfort and I sure as hell wasn(t $oin$ to find it here. :I cant stay here. Im lea+in$.; I heard my father call after me when I stormed out of there li'e a whirlwind. ))) 2ar' =un$ ,an$ came to mind first when I escaped my house% howe+er it was ?im ,oo =in whom I ran to. *er father at the door $reeted me and informed that his dau$hter had the chic'en po&. I was standin$ outside of her house when her head pee'ed out of her bedroom window. I could barely reco$ni>e her with

all the red dots on her face. :Im sorry% =i Won. "ou ha+e to find another place to stay for the ni$ht. *ow about a hotel-; :"ou cra>y- I dont ha+e any money. Do you-; :No.; : hen why su$$est it-; ,he shru$$ed carelessly. :=ust tryin$ to help. *a+e you had the po& before-D DNo.D D,o% you can(t stay here. 9o to =un$ ,an$s place. "ou+e $ot no choice.; :0ut1a $irl and $uy. I cant stay at his place for the ni$ht%; I protested% e+en if I 'new I had no choice but to $o to him in the end. ,oo =in smiled widely. :"oure $onna end up $i+in$ it up sooner or later. Why are you bein$ so upti$ht-; I $lared up at her% understandin$ her implication. :Well maybe because Im not a slut-; :It doesnt ma'e you a slut. 9irls these days do it all the time.D DAnd that(s normal to you-D D,o I $uess)))most $irls are labeled sluts to you then-; :Bnli'e most $irls% I +alue my +ir$inity.; I could honestly say that I was proud to ma'e such a declaration. When I thou$ht deeply into it% I really couldn(t understand why ,oo =in was defendin$ the non)+ir$ins. :"ah3 And how come youre spea'in$ as if youre not one-3; Another head po'ed out. It was ?im ,oo =ins older brother ?im =un *o who attends colle$e. *e was neither handsome nor cute)))6ust a+era$e loo'in$. *e had a $irlfriend of three years who disli'es me whene+er I +isited ,oo =in because she was afraid I would put a mo+e on her not)so)$ood)loo'in$ boyfriend. :"ah3 =i Won. *ow bout we $o out for somethin$ to eat tomorrow-; =un *o called out. Do you see the 'ind of effect you ha+e on $uys when you mention that youre a +ir$in,oo =in $lared at her brother in annoyance. : omorrow eh- omorrow youll be infected by the po&. Who told you to come into my room-3; *er brother 6ust loo'ed at her blan'ly and said% :,h8t. I for$ot.; :Dumbass%; she muttered when he retreated. I si$hed in e&asperation and said% :Well% Ill see you in a wee' or two. 5all me tomorrow. I ha+e a lot to tell you.; :"eah%; ,oo =in a$reed. hen I remembered that I didnt ha+e my cell phone on me. :No. Ill call you.; :#'ay%; she said% bobbin$ her head nonchalantly. When I turned my bac' on her% she called bac' to me. :"ah% =i Won. "ou ne+er told me how you $ot that awful bruise on your face.; :!i'e I said% Ill tell you later%; I called bac' o+er my shoulder as I started to wal' away. ))) I wasnt a bloc' away from ,oo =ins house when I was $reeted by a familiar fi$ure who came and stood in front of my

path. I let out a small surprise $asp% afraid that he would attac' me. ,tandin$ with his hands tuc'ed in his poc'ets of his hoodie% and a ci$arette dan$lin$ from between his lips was prettyface ?im ae Woo. *alf of his face was obscured by dar'ness while the other half was bathe by the streetli$ht. *e appeared almost fictional. As if he was impossibly real. : ae Woo1; I uttered in surprise. 4emo+in$ the ci$arette from his between his lips% he 6utted his chin out while obser+in$ my face impassi+ely. :"our face. Who done that to you-; :It was 6ust)))D I paused% decidin$ to withhold the truth from him. :It was nothin$. 5atfi$ht with some random $irl on the street.; *e too' a step toward me. :Why-; I retreated a step. :Why% what-; :Why did she fi$ht you-; :It was stupid. I wasnt loo'in$ where I was $oin$ and I accidentally bumped into her on the street.; :And your forehead-; :I was pushed a$ainst the bric' wall%; I replied% $a>in$ into his face% wonderin$ 6ust how much he was hurtin$. After hearin$ what =un$ ,an$ said to me% I didnt hate ?im ae Woo as much as I thou$ht I did. *e wanted to reach out to touch my face% but withdrew his hand away immediately. :Does it hurt-; he way he had as'ed me% I had sensed the hurt in his +oice and it made me wonder about his feelin$s. :It 'ind of stin$s% but Ill sur+i+e.; :And thats why you stood me up% ri$ht-; I nodded% feelin$ the bile of $uilt risin$ from my throat. *e almost snorted when he said% :As much as I want to fall for this bullsh8t% I cant.; *e 'new. *e probably 'new e+erythin$. I hated how he always had to 'now e+erythin$. : ae Woo% listen to me)))D :"ou dont fi$ht% =i Won. "ou were ne+er a fi$hter to be$in with. "ou probably allowed her to beat you up. Admit it% you $ot beat up.; #r perhaps% he didnt 'now after all. *e 6ust 'new what type of her person I was. :"oure ri$ht%; I blurted suddenly. :"oure ri$ht.; *e smiled. : hen youre for$i+en. Ill ta'e a rain chec' on it.; I loo'ed around% reali>in$ how late it was and people were startin$ to empty the streets. :What were you doin$ out here anyway-; he as'ed% $a>in$ off into the same direction. :I was 6ust wanderin$.; :"ou wander this late-; :Bh huh.; :Arent you afraid of bein$ 'idnapped-; #h% the irony of it all.

:I dont thin' about that stuff when I wander.; I loo'ed bac' at him and said% :And you-; *e was smir'in$ at this point. :I li'e wanderin$ too.; :Arent you afraid of bein$ 'idnapped-; *e shru$$ed his shoulders and answered% :Nah. 0ut I do hate bein$ stal'ed.; I for$ot 6ust how popular he was. :*a+e you been stal'ed before-; :"es. Its not fun. Especially when you ha+e $irls buyin$ you bo&ers and briefs)))or sendin$ you a loc' of their hair and +ials of their blood% tellin$ you how much you mean to them.; I almost cho'ed on my sali+a. :What-; *e smiled. :Im 'iddin$.; I returned the smile. :I didnt 'now.; *e loo'ed pu>>led for a moment. :?now-; : hat you could be li'e this-; *e pointed to his face. :Its the face. No one sees past it. "ou could say that it acts as a distraction.; :Not to mention the coc'y attitude%; I added. : hat too.; ,ilence fell between us. I was starin$ down at my feet and ae Woo was starin$ at me. I was startin$ to feel +ery uncomfortable until he decided to spea' a$ain. :!ets wander to$ether.; I a$reed. We started down the street% side by side% actin$ li'e stran$ers who were $ettin$ to 'now each other for the first time. ?im ae Woo $lanced down at me. I had to admit% he has a nice profile. :*ow is =un$ ,an$-; hat made me wonder whether it was 6ust and idle <uestion% or if he was actually concerned for his friend. :*es the same.; :I+e ne+er really been a $ood friend to him.; :Why do you say that-; :0ecause its the truth%; ae Woo said before lettin$ out a deep breath. :Im sure he 'nows about our date. Na)Na probably told him already.; :"es.; :*es not an$ry% is he-; :I supposed he wasnt. *e didnt loo' an$ry.; : hat is why I still hold him as my friend. 0ecause he accepts me for bein$ me. 0ecause he understands why I do what I do. And because he doesnt hate me for bein$ prettier than he is.; Another deep breath. :*es a $ood person. "oure luc'y to be with him. *es one of a 'ind.; I couldnt understand what ae Woo was ramblin$ about% but I was pretty sure that it was his way of tellin$ me that he finally accepted our relationship. For a moment% I was touched by ae Woos selflessness. We were about to cross the street when ae Woo $rabbed my left wrist and pulled me bac' hard a$ainst him. A car swer+ed by the moment I was in his arms.

?im ae Woo released me and shouted after the lunatic dri+er. :"A*3 "#B 4E A4D3 5AN "#B ,EE B, WA!?IN9-33; *e pic'ed up a crushed can and whipped it at the car% only ha+in$ it to fall short. : ae Woo%; I called to him. :It was my fault. I wasnt loo'in$.; ae Woo spun around and wal'ed o+er to me. :Now I can understand why that $irl beat you up. If I didnt hold you bac')))D :I 'now. han' you.; *e lowered his $a>e. :!ets stop wanderin$. Ill wal' you home.; I lifted my hand as if to stop him. :Wait. I cant $o home. My mother is upset)))I cant $o home yet.; : hen where to-; .ow to get out of this one) Ji Won( :Ill 6ust 'eep wanderin$ and you can $o home. Im sure its late and)))D :If you 'eep wanderin$ the way you do% you(ll 'ill yourself. Ill ta'e you somewhere then.D I shoo' my head but he persisted. :Do it as a repayment. I sa+ed your life 6ust a minute a$o. And besides% you still owe me.; D"ou could always beat up "oon ae. his time I won(t stop you.D DI don(t feel li'e beatin$ him up ri$ht now.D *e started wal'in$ ahead of me. D!et(s $o.D :Where-; :"oull see.; ))) :A 0A4- I 5AN 9# IN *E4E. !##? A M" FA5E333; I screamed when ?im ae Woo was pullin$ me towards the entrance. :5ome now. Its the only place that is open durin$ the late hours%; he said% tryin$ to sound reassurin$. :My face. !oo' at my face. 5ant you see that)))D :Its not that bad.; :0ut Im ashamed to be seen in public.; :0ut you were wanderin$ around with that +ery same face%; he pointed out. :I dont drin'%; I ar$ued. :"ou dont ha+e to. I will.; :0ut)))D *e let $o of my hand and too' off his hoodie% throwin$ it o+er my head. *e was left wearin$ his muscle shirt% e&posin$ the 'ind of arms I ne+er thou$ht he had. I stared. :Wear it. 5o+er your face% if you want to.; I $a+e up tryin$ to fi$ht a$ainst him and reluctantly pulled the hoodie down and slipped my arms throu$h the slee+es. It was ba$$y enou$h to ma'e me loo' li'e a boy. I pulled the hood o+er my head and followed him inside. he place was crowded with students. Most of them attended my school. All of them were tryin$ to act or appear older than their a$e. ,ome were dancin$% others were loun$in$ and the rest were drin'in$ and $ettin$ rowdy. A few of them

$reeted ae Woo as we strode by. #ne of the $uy stood up from the bar stool and blew a wisp of smo'e into my face. I cou$hed at him when he lowered his head to try and $limpse at my face. *e retreated and made a rude remar'. D08tch is u$ly.D D!i'e you(re any better loo'in$. "ou loo' li'e my do$3D I retorted in an$er. ruth is% I don(t e+en ha+e a do$. I 6ust felt li'e sayin$ that out of an$er. ae Woo had to pull me away. When he led me away% I tu$$ed my hood lower% thin'in$ I could ma'in$ myself in+isible. We he finally settled for a table at the far end of the room% I <uic'ly sat down in relief. : ae Woo oppa3; some random $irl called out% saunterin$ to our table with hi$h heels on. I $lanced up to see that she had put on too much ma'e)up. *er hair was all curled and pretty loo'in$ and she was donnin$ an outfit that didnt do well to co+er up her s'inny body. :Who is this-; she pointed down at me. I sat with my shoulders hunched forward% tryin$ to thin' of a way to escape when ae Woo pulled on my chair and threw an arm around me. :My $irl%; he stated. I was $oin$ to 'ill him for that. I cau$ht a $limpse of her e&pression. ,he made a dis$usted face and said% :Eww. Why is she hidin$ her face- Does she ha+e some 'ind of disease-; I was really $oin$ to 'ill the ne&t person who made fun of my face. ,tandin$ up from my chair% I slammed my fists a$ainst the table and threw my hood bac'. D hat(s ri$ht b8tch. I ha+e leprosy. Now $et the f8c' out of my face3D ,he co+ered her mouth in shoc' and hurried away. ae Woo tu$$ed at my slee+e. I sat bac' down and pulled my hood up a$ain. D his isn(t the ri$ht place to be.D D hat(s why we both need a drin'%D ae Woo said% snatchin$ for the shots that the ser+er was carryin$ on a tray. D*ere. a'e it. It(ll help.D I loo'ed at him with uncertainty. D hat(s peer pressure.D DNah% it(s alcohol. Now drin'.D I too' the $lass from him and held it to my mouth when someone shouted% DE@E4"#NE !##?. ,*IN *"E MIN I, 9#IN9 54AX"-33; ,hin *ye Min was there also- Why would she $o to a bar after all that happenedE+eryone in the room $athered towards the center of the room% formin$ a circle around the commotion. ae Woo stood up and hurried towards the center. I followed him% pushin$ and sho+in$ my way throu$h to see that *ye Min was straddled on top of some random $uy% 'issin$ him in front of e+eryone. ae Woo made a mo+e to $rab her but another fi$ure placed himself in front of him. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ stood there with a stoic e&pression. *e loo'ed at ae Woo and then $lanced briefly at me before haulin$ *ye Min off the $uy. For a moment I wondered whether he 'new that it was his $irlfriend who was hidin$ under the hood. I hope he hadnt reco$ni>ed me. For all I 'now% thin$s were bad enou$h as it was. ,he fou$ht a$ainst him% 'ic'in$ and screamin$ as he dra$$ed her from the bar. ae Woo shouted after him% followin$ them out. I shouted after ae Woo and followed him out. #nce we were all outside% =un$ ,an$ released *ye Min% ae Woo stood fi+e feet away% and I was left standin$ there

dumbfounded% starin$ li'e a dummy. Chp.,,- S#eep#ess $S!ep any c#oser% and Ill brea' your 6aw% ae Woo%; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ warned with fury in his eyes. ae Woo i$nored him and went o+er to help *ye Min stand properly. ,he was lost. "ou could tell it in her e&pression. :Who are you people-; :!ets $et you home%; ae Woo said% leadin$ her away. =ust seein$ them to$ether% I wondered who was more concerned about *ye Min. Was it ae Woo or =un$ ,an$hey werent far when he stopped to call o+er his shoulder. :"ou can wear it for now. 9i+e it to me later.; *e was spea'in$ of his hoodie. I <uic'ly turned my head away% thin'in$ =un$ ,an$ still hadnt fi$ured out who I was. I could act aloof and wal' away. I could 6ust pretend to be a nobody and I wouldnt ha+e to deal with any of it. I could 6ust $o. 0ut $o where:"ou loo' pathetic%; came the remar' from =un$ ,an$ as he be$an to wal' away from me. 0usted. I hurried o+er to catch up to him. :!isten to me. It isnt what you thin'.; :I dont care% Im $oin$ home.; I ran up to bloc' his path. :And what about *ye Min- Did you $o there for her-; :"es.; :Why-; :0ecause her parents called to tell me to ta'e her home3; he e&ploded. D hey thin' it(s my fault that she went out drin'in$% that(s why3D :And you werent at least a bit concerned for her-; *e didnt loo' at me when he said% :I was too. If I werent% I wouldnt ha+e come.; I remember the time =un$ ,an$ had told her that he didnt want anythin$ to do with her. *e had lied. I had cau$ht him holdin$ her the other time. his time he went to retrie+e her because of what- !oyalty- 2ity- *e done it because he was her concerned e&)boyfriend. here was a sli$ht pan$ of 6ealousy that 'ept po'in$ at me to the point I had to say somethin$ relati+e. :"ou still li'e her. Dont deny it% =un$ ,an$.; *e said nothin$. I persisted. : hen it must+e hurt for you to see her 'issin$ that other $uy.; *e clenched his 6aw and sidestepped to wal' ahead of me. :It did hurt. 0ut it cant compare to the hurt I felt when I saw you wearin$ ae Woos sweatshirt.; My heart dropped% not only for =un$ ,an$% but because I felt li'e we were both slippin$% and our aru$ment was $oin$ to end up pushin$ us apart. :I didnt want to be seen in public with such a face so he too' it off for me to wear%; I said% forcin$ the words out slowly. :"ou were with him%; he pointed out. :I ran into him on the street. We were 6ust tal'in$ when he decided to)))D :"ou dont ha+e to e&plain anythin$. I dont want to 'now.;

:0ut you ha+e to hear me out.; :I said I dont want to 'now.; :0ecause its not worth 'nowin$% ri$ht- If I mean anythin$ to you% you would hear me out. =ust earlier you were testin$ me. I didnt lea+e you and now were bac' to where we started. "ou say you dont want to 'now- 0ut I want you to 'now so I will tell you ri$ht here and now that you+e misunderstood me.; *e $a+e me a moc'in$ snort. :Funny how you said you wouldnt $o to him and 6ust fi+e minutes a$o% you were with him.; +o more tears) Ji Won. ,ou ve cried enough and now you re all cried out. :"oure ri$ht. It is funny. Is it also funny that Im here followin$ you now- Do you also find that funny% =un$ ,an$- 0ecause I am here now1with you.; *e stopped wal'in$ and turned around. :I need time.; : ime for what-; :I need time alone% or whate+er the hec' you call it. =ust lea+e me alone.; :"ou 'now what. Fine. 9o where+er the hell you want. If you thin' that Im the type to run to ae Woo% Ill do it 6ust because you see it that way.; I spun around% and started wal'in$ away an$rily when he called out% :No. "ou will not3; :Why the hell not-3; I as'ed% without loo'in$ bac' to him. :I dont want you to3; It was my turn to play his $ame. :9i+e me a $ood reason and I wont $o.; :0ecause Im your boyfriend3; :4eally- =ust a moment a$o% you werent actin$ li'e one.; I was pretty sure he didnt li'e my sarcasm. his time he stal'ed up to me to bloc' my path. hat was all it too'. *e needed to only bloc' me and it would end our ar$ument. :I am actin$ li'e one now and Im tellin$ you not to $o to him%; he said% loo'in$ more an$ry than I was. :"oure bein$ selfish.; :No% you are.; :No% you are.; :,hut up.; My shoulders sun' in weariness. I couldnt continue on ar$uin$ with him anymore. Not after all that happened. :Im tired% =un$ ,an$. I don(t want to ar$ue. !et(s 6ust for$et what happened and mo+e on.; *e too' hold of my hand and dra$$ed me with him. :Ill ta'e you home.; :Not home. I cant $o home yet. I $ot into a fi$ht with my mom. It was o+er somethin$ stupid.; I continued to ramble on. :,oo =in has the po& so I cant stay o+er her house either. I ha+e no money on me. I ha+e nowhere to $o. ,hould I 6ust sleep out on the street-; :Dummy% you thin' I would let you sleep on the streets- "ou(re not a homeless person% don(t act li'e one. "ou still $ot me. I(ll ta'e you to my place.; :"es% lets do that.; When we started to mo+e a$ain% I held him bac'. :Wait. I want to say somethin$ else first.;

*e loo'ed down at me in<uirin$ly. :What-; :If it means anythin$ to you% I was on my way to your place when I $ot stopped by ae Woo. I 6ust want you to 'now that.D *e nodded his head. :I understand. Im sorry for misunderstandin$.; *e released my arm and obser+ed me in a studious manner. : a'e it off.; :0ut)))D : a'e it off.; I remo+ed the hoodie o+er my head and saw that =un$ ,an$ was ta'in$ off his own sweatshirt to hand to me. :I want you to wear mine% not his.; ))) After a <uic' shower% =un$ ,an$ had lent me his draw strin$s shorts and a clean white t)shirt to wear. When I wal'ed into his room with a towel around my shoulder% I found him lyin$ on his bed% with one arm rested a$ainst his forehead. *e wasn(t sleepin$ but he had his eyes shut as if he was in deep thou$ht. It reminded me of the time when =un$ ,an$ was lyin$ in the hospital% sleepin$ peacefully li'e an an$el. ,ensin$ that I was starin$ at him% he opened his eyes and <uic'ly sat up. :"ou can ta'e the bed. Ill sleep outside in the li+in$ room.; :0ut its your bed and Im the $uest so)))D :=ust dont drool o+er my pillow%; he said% mo+in$ off the bed. ruthfully% I didnt want him to lea+e yet. :0ut it loo's uncomfortable1; :I fluffed the pillow and added an e&tra layer of sheet on the mattress% what more do you want-; :I1; *e titled his head to the side and smir'ed. :Dont tell me youre tryin$ to as' me to 6oin you-; :No.; *e loo'ed o+er his shoulder and said% :We could share. here is enou$h room for the both of us.; :I dont li'e sharin$.; I <uic'ly wal'ed o+er to $rab a pillow to hand it to him. : a'e it and $et out.; *e only loo'ed at it. : his isnt your room. "ou ha+e no say.; :Im your $uest so the $uest should ha+e the bed.; :"oure my $irlfriend% not a $uest.; :Im still considered your $uest.; *e too' a challen$in$ step closer. :"oure afraid that I mi$ht do somethin$-; "erha$s it s the other way around) Jung 2ang. :*ere% ta'e it.; *e too' the pillow but he $rabbed my arm alon$ with it% drawin$ me closer. :A $oodni$ht 'iss then.; :What-; :"ou heard me.;

:No.; :A $oodni$ht 'iss or Ill sleep in here too.; What 'ind of threat was that- :Fine%; I a$reed% mo+in$ in to place a chaste 'iss on his chee'. *e returned the $esture and leaned in to whisper softly into my ear. : han' you.; With those +ery last words% he was $one. I didnt li'e the empty feelin$ that I was feelin$ when he wasnt around. I $uess you could say that e+ery $irl feels the same way when her partner lea+es her. I felt $iddy when I touched my warm flushed chee's and buried my face in =un$ ,an$s pillow% inhalin$ in his scent. hat was enou$h to 'noc' me out. ))) It was probably a few hours later when I wo'e up to the hea+iness on my stomach. It felt li'e a piece of bric'. I opened my eyes and ad6usted my si$ht to the dar'ness that surrounded me. I wasnt in my room. Huic'ly sittin$ upri$ht in a panic% I loo'ed around the bed to see someone lyin$ ne&t to me. he person was =un$ ,an$. I reali>ed that I was sufferin$ from a mild disorientation. I co+ered my mouth and remembered that I was sleepin$ in his room and he was supposed to be sleepin$ outside. More to my disco+ery% the wei$ht on my stomach was his foot. *e had slept upside down. I shoo' his le$ and pushed at him. :"A*% =BN9 ,AN9 WA?E B233; *e rubbed at his eyes $ro$$ily. :What-; :"oure on the bed with me3; *e rolled o+er and mumbled% :And-; :And youre supposed to be sleepin$ outside.; :I $ot cold%; he answered. :"oure sleepin$ upside down33; :Im not. "ou are.; I $a>ed down at the bed and at myself and then e+erywhere around me. =un$ ,an$ was ri$ht. I was the one sleepin$ upside down. I crawled closer to him so that I could push at him some more. :What- Did you mo+e me-; :"es.; :Why-; : he last time I saw you% you almost fell off the bed so I mo+ed you bac'. I dont 'now. "ou probably mo+ed a$ain%; he $rumbled% buryin$ his face into the pillow. :Alri$ht. "ou can ha+e the blan'et. ,o $o bac' out.; :No.; I slapped his bac'. :Why not-; :If I dont stay here% youll fall for real this time.;

I was touched by his concern% but to be honest% I really didn(t li'e sharin$ my bed. :I 'now youre tryin$ to protect me but I dont li'e sharin$ my bed.; :I can see why.; I placed a hand on my waist% feelin$ li'e I had to e&plain myself. :Im usually not li'e this at home.; :Im stayin$%; he said% raisin$ the blan'et hi$her to his chest while shiftin$ around. *e fluttered his lids opened to loo' at me before burstin$ out lau$hin$. :"ou loo' li'e a frea'.; :,hut up.; *e lau$hed some more and co+ered his eyes with the bac' of his hand. :,top it.; :,top what- "oure the one thats lau$hin$ to yourself.; :=ust dont loo' at me. "oure startin$ to frea' me out.; 4eally- 2in$2on$0oy was afraid of $hosts- I too' it as an ad+anta$e to scare him by co+erin$ my face with my hair. appin$ on his shoulder% I whispered% :!oo' at me.; When he did% he 6umped and sat ri$ht up. :F8c'% =i Won. I told you not to loo' at me3; :"ou loo'ed at me.; : hat cause you told me to%; he ar$ued. I lau$hed% reachin$ for my pillow to place it ne&t to him and then I settled down beside him. :Wanna hear $host stories- I 'now a lot.; :,hut up and $o to sleep. My ears are $ettin$ tired from listenin$ to you.; :*ow can your ears $et tired-; *e turned the other way. :=i Won% stop bein$ irritatin$.; : here once was this $irl who was deformed)))D *e co+ered his ears with the pillow. :,hut up3; I tu$$ed at his arm. :No. !isten to me. Its $ood.; *e sat up and $ot out of the bed% mo+in$ towards the door to shut it ti$hter. hen he went o+er to his wardrobe closet to shut it close and then he came bac' to 'neel in front of the bed and chec'ed under it before climbin$ bac' to settle himself ne&t to me. :If you continue to tell me these stories% Ill tell you a real scary one.; I 'new he was only tryin$ to $et me to stop. :4eally- I want to hear.; It came out more simple than I thou$ht. :My apartment is haunted.; hat caused me to become fri$id. :"oure lyin$% ri$ht-; :No. Why do you thin' I went to shut my door and chec'ed in the closet and then under my bed- 0ecause theres a spirit in this place that li'es openin$ doors% hidin$ in closets and causin$ a rac'et under my bed. o tell you the truth% I rarely sleep in here in fear of seein$ it. Maybe1; he trailed off% unwillin$ to finish. :Maybe what-; :Maybe the spirit mo+ed you around on the bed.;

I shifted my body closer to him. his time% it was my turn to $et scared. :=un$ ,an$% stop it.; :What% youre scared now-; :"eah...; :9o to sleep. Maybe if it sees us sleepin$ to$ether li'e this% itll lea+e us alone.; :I $uess%; I said% shuttin$ my eyes ti$ht. :0ut could I put my arm around you% so that I 'now youre here-; :,ure.; I placed my arm around him and he placed his arm on my arm. his was comfort to me. It was all I needed. It was perfect. :=un$ ,an$-; I as'ed% $a>in$ up at him in the dar'. *e had his eyes shut. :"es-; :When you sleep% dream of me.; :I cant force myself to dream of you% =i Won.; :If you thin' about that person that much you will dream about them.; :#'ay. 0ut where did you hear this-; :I read about dreams.; I closed my own eyes and thou$ht about him. :=i Won-; :"es-; :If it means anythin$ to you% I dream about you e+ery ni$ht.; Chp.,/ - H:A=S <P I s!re!che'B ya;ne' an' sa! .p with my eyes still closed. hen I remembered that I had slept at =un$ ,an$s place. Huic'ly openin$ my eyes% I reali>ed that I was once a$ain% sleepin$ the wron$ way. I chec'ed the alarm cloc' to see that it was V:II ocloc' in the mornin$ and panic'ed. u$$in$ impatiently on the blan'et% I blurted% :=un$ ,an$3 Were late for school3; *e $rumbled somethin$ under the pillow and refused to bud$e. I leaned forward and $rabbed the blan'et from him. :"ah3 Wa'e up3; My yellin$ and tu$$in$ didnt wor'. here was still no response. *e slept as still as a roc'. I bet this $uy could sleep throu$h a house fire)))and if he died from it% he wouldn(t 'now either. ,tartin$ to $et fed up% I snatched the pillow from his head% and placed both my palms a$ainst either side of his face% turnin$ him toward me. When I settled my eyes upon him% I almost couldnt reco$ni>e him due to the u$ly bruisin$ around his ri$ht eye. 5o+erin$ my mouth in surprise% I thou$ht about how he mi$ht ha+e $otten that bruise. E/ *e wal'ed into somethin$ in the middle of the ni$ht on his way to the bathroom N/ he spirit caused it.Bnli'ely/ W/ I had probably 'noc'ed him in the face while I was the state of sleep.Most !i'ely/ ,eein$ that I was sleepin$ the opposite direction% I concluded that it was my fault. I mi$ht ha+e 'ic'ed him unintentionally. hat would also e&plain my mo+in$)around)bit. Was it possible that he couldnt feel the pain- 0ut then a$ain% =un$ ,an$

is a deep sleeper. *e probably cant feel a sin$le thin$. When =un$ ,an$ opened his eyes to loo' at me% I could barely see his ri$ht eye beneath the swollen lids. *e resembled some raccoonG only that he was cuter. I suddenly felt $uilty. Well)))only a little bit. :Were not late% dummy. hat cloc' is two hours ahead. I still ha+ent fi&ed it yet%; he mumbled under his breath. *owe+er% the si$ht of him forced me to brea' into an immediate cac'le. I had to hold onto my stomach because it hurt so much from lau$hin$. *e $rabbed his pillow to toss it at my head% cuttin$ off my lau$hter. :Why are you lau$hin$-; :I had a $ood dream%; I <uic'ly answered. *e 6ust loo'ed at me with a blan' e&pression% so I added% :About beatin$ someone up.; :Who-; :=ust some handsome boy who turned u$ly once I struc' him.; : hats funny to you-; he as'ed with an irritated e&pression. !iftin$ his head inches from the pillow% he $a>ed down at his feet. :,h8t. My foot feels wet.; Ai$oo3 I bet I drooled on his foot too. *e sat up abruptly% loo'in$ at his foot. :"ou drooled on my feet-; he as'ed incredulously. ,o perhaps my 'noc'in$)him)in) the)eye wasnt the only thin$ I did. *e placed his foot near my face. :Aish3 Wipe it off. 0ut you mi$ht want to wipe the side of your face first.; I sniffed and pinched my nose. DAnd you mi$ht want to wash your feet first.D DWhat- *e loo'ed at his foot. DIt only smells because you drooled on it.D 9rowin$ embarrassed% I <uic'ly wiped the side of my mouth with the shirt I had on. It wasnt my shirt% why should I care*e made a dis$usted face. :"ah3 hats my shirt3; :,o-; :,o- "ou probably contaminated my pillow and now my shirt too-3; I raised my own +oice to match his% pushin$ his foot away from my face. :,ince when did you become such a $erm frea'-3; : his is the last time youll be sleepin$ o+er.; :,hut up. Its not li'e I wanted to sleep here in the first place.; :A person li'e you should sleep in a cas'et% that way you cant mo+e around so much. 0ut then)))you(d probably die from drowin$ in your own pool of drool.; :"ah3 Are you sayin$ that I resemble some 'ind of corpse-3; :"ou loo'ed li'e one last ni$ht.; :,hut up. At least I dont loo' li'e a raccoon33; *is brows rose in <uestion. :What- A racoon-;

*e threw his le$s o+er the side of the bed% headin$ out the door. 9i+e him fi+e seconds and well ne+er hear the end of it. I counted up to four when it happened. *e stormed into the room li'e a ra$in$ bull)))or shall I say)))li'e an an$ry raccoon and pointed at his face in disbelief. I s<uealed in response% scramblin$ off the bed and holdin$ a pillow to my chest as a shield. :W*A *E *E!! *A22ENED # M" FA5E- DID "#B D# *I,-3;

:No%; I replied% tryin$ to hide the $uilt in my face. :And why should you o+erreact- "ou dont care about your face3; :"ou punched me while I was sleepin$-3; I could feel a pout comin$ on. My +oice sounded small when I said% :E+en if I did% I really didnt mean to do it. I didnt mean)))D :"oull pay for this3; :Im sorry. I really am. Are you $onna hurt me-; I as'ed% cowerin$ away from him with the pillow raised abo+e me% bracin$ myself for some 'ind of abuse. hen I heard lau$hter eruptin$ from him. My boyfriend was lau$hin$ at me. his time% I tossed the pillow at him% cuttin$ his lau$hter off. :Whats so funny-; *e fell onto the bed% leaned on his elbows% and turned to re$ard me. :I $uess you can say that were both eliminated from that dumb contest% huh-; :What-; : he prettyface contest is today.; ))) urns out my lo+eable boyfriend had snuc'ed a call to my parents last ni$ht% informin$ them of my whereabouts and apolo$i>ed on my behalf. When I went home that mornin$ to chan$e into my uniform% they in+ited =un$ ,an$ inside for brea'fast% and acted li'e nothin$ happened. My mother howe+er% tried to probe about whether we slept to$ether or in separate rooms. My father in<uired about =un$ ,an$s blac' eye% and all I did was watch =un$ ,an$ the entire time% findin$ that I was fallin$ deeper for his unpredictable character. =un$ ,an$ didn(t ha+e any charms but somehow% he had charmed my parents into li'in$ him too. =in *yun$% on the other hand sat and ate <uietly in silence% a+ertin$ my death stare until my parents left us alone at the table. hat(s when he started stic'in$ his ton$ue out at me. !ee "oon ae wo'e up late and his hair was still damp when he arri+ed at the table. *owe+er% he appeared to be more presentable because his uniform was worn properly. :,o what do you thin'% =i Won. "ou thin' Im $onna win since it loo's li'e the both of you are dis<ualified-; "oon ae in<uired% brin$in$ out a hand mirror to loo' at his reflection. :,h8t. I spot a >it.; "oon ae was bein$ an ass a$ain. *e only li'es to rub thin$s in peoples faces. :"our eyes loo' puffy. Why dont you try usin$ =i Wons eye cream-; =in *yun$ inter6ected% purposely moc'in$ our cousin. "oon ae pushed =in *yun$s head. :Dummy. Im not $ay.; :0ut youre in a $ay contest.;

=un$ ,an$ nearly cho'ed on his food. "oon ae turned to re$ard him with a serious e&pression. :I $uess that ma'es all of us $ay then% ri$ht =un$ ,an$-; =un$ ,an$ placed his utensils down and said% :!oo'% if you still want out% I could always ruin that pretty face of yours. Its still not too late.; ,o after that match% I $uess "oon ae and =un$ ,an$ were bac' to their usual bic'erin$. :Nah. I li'e to win%; "oon ae said% $ettin$ out of his chair. :And than's for the compliment.; ))) 1hey $robably got $hysical. 1hat would e<$lain Ji Won s ugly face.& "ark Jung 2ang may be hot) but he has the worst tem$er. .e is $robably the best fighter in our school. +o one wants to take him on. Lee Ji Won deserves it. ,ou can t always have it your way. We wal'ed in side)by)side down the hallway% ha+in$ the students stare at us with curious e&pressions and whisperin$ thin$s behind our bac's. #ne $uy 'ept starin$% which forced =un$ ,an$ to $rab him by the collar of his uniform% pinnin$ him a$ainst the loc'ers. :Wanna loo' li'e me-; he fearful student shoo' his head. : hen <uit starin$ at my $irlfriend.; And all alon$% I thou$ht he was defendin$ himself. It was sweet of him% but he really didnt need to scare the $uy. he student cowered and as'ed% :0ut thats !ee =i Won% ri$ht-; Immediately% I lowered my head in embarrassment. :!ee =i Won% 'eep your head up. Dont lower it3; =un$ ,an$ snapped at me. I <uic'ly lifted my head up% for$ettin$ my place. =un$ ,an$ had told me before we entered to 'eep my head upG otherwise they would find reasons to tal' about us. :"es% thats her.; :W)w)what happened to her face-; My nec' was be$innin$ to feel sore. :None of your business%; =un$ ,an$ answered% pushin$ the $uy aside. Another $irl stepped into our path% <uestionin$ =un$ ,an$ as if she 'new him. :4umors are circulatin$ that you li'e to beat your $irls% oppa. Is that true-; I didnt li'e how she phrased her <uestion. If I had it my way% I would ha+e clawed her eyes out and ha+e her rephrase that <uestion a$ain. :4umors are rumors. What does those rumors $otta do with you-; =un$ ,an$ countered in return. :I was 6ust curious.; :"eah- 5urious% eh- 9o stic' your plastic nose somewhere else.;

he $irls 6aws dropped wide opened in shoc'. ,ome of the students started to lau$h at her and I found myself smilin$ li'e an idiot. Flustered with embarrassment% she fled li'e a wounded do$ who had 6ust $ot 'ic'ed by its master. I could feel my head startin$ to lower a$ain. =un$ ,an$ didnt ha+e to loo' at me to tell me% :"ah3 ?eep your head up3; I complied% allowin$ =un$ ,an$ to lead me past all the students. I admired him more for what he did that day. !i'e the others% I couldnt stop loo'in$ at him% not for the same reasons as they wereG I stared because I was learnin$ more and more about him as time $rew and my admiration for him $rew too. ))) !unchtime came. he winner of the contest was finally announced inside the cafeteria. :!ee "oon ae3 !ee "oon ae33; all the $irl chanted in unison. :!ee "oon ae33; My smilin$ cousin bowed to show his appreciation. : han' you. han' you. 0ut remember $irls% I(m better loo'in$ than =ae =oon$ from D0,?. 9ot that-; Apparently% !ee "oon ae was the only contestant left who was still <ualified% so that ma'es him the undisputed winner. I dont thin' he was proud to be the winnerG he 6ust li'ed the fact that he could rub it in ?im ae Woos face% so I wasnt so proud of him either. I stood beside =un$ ,an$ who was busy loo'in$ at his phone% te&t messa$in$ someone. *e placed his phone aside and ti$htened his 6aw. An$er shown in his eyes. It wasn(t a $ood thin$. I had to as'. :Whats wron$-; *e i$nored me as his eyes searched the crowd of students% landin$ on ?im ae Woo. ae Woo stood at the bac' of the cafeteria with a couple $irls surroundin$ him. :Why are you loo'in$ at him li'e that-; I <uestioned him. *e didnt answer meG instead he strode directly up to ?im ae Woo. hey 6ust stared at each other until =un$ ,an$ $rabbed at ae Woos collar and punched him hard in the face% 'noc'in$ him a$ainst the wall. I went to $rab for =un$ ,an$s arm% but he 6er'ed away% yellin$ at ae Woo. :What the f8c' did you do to her-3; ,ome of the students started to $ather around us and my heart started to race a hundred miles. he animosity =un$ ,an$ had towards ae Woo wasn(t normal. E+eryone in school 'new the two were best friends. I really couldnt understand what =un$ ,an$ was an$ry about% so I decided to inter+ene. My $uess was that =un$ ,an$ was still an$ry about what happened last ni$ht. ae Woo rubbed at his 6aw and wiped the blood from his chin and he then loo'ed at me% answerin$% :I did nothin$.; he way ae Woo loo'ed at me% did he try to imply somethin$=un$ ,an$ pulled me aside and added a 'ic' to ae Woos $ut. 0efore =un$ ,an$ could do anythin$ more% I <uic'ly placed myself between them. :!isten. If this is about last ni$ht% ae Woo and I did)))D =un$ ,an$ cut me off by yellin$ in my face. :Mo+e3; :No.; :I said mo+e3; :N#3; I yelled in return. : *I, *A, N# *IN9 # D# WI * "#B. N#W M#@E33;

I crin$ed and felt someones arms drawin$ me aside. :=i Won. I thin' you should stay out of this.; It was "oon aes +oice. *e held me bac' from =un$ ,an$. =un$ ,an$ drew ae Woo up a$ainst the wall. :What did you do to *ye Min last ni$ht-; My heart dropped. It was ,hin *ye Min that he was worried about. hey were fi$htin$ o+er her. It had nothin$ to do with ae Woo leadin$ me to the bar. It had nothin$ to do with me. ae Woo% with his bruised and bleedin$ lip% replied% :What do you want me to say- hat I screwed her last ni$ht- Is that what you want to hear-; =un$ ,an$ drew his fist bac' and slammed it a$ainst the wall ne&t to ae Woos face. :If anythin$ happened to her. "oull pay for this.; =un$ ,an$ turned his bac' on his friend and started to wal' away% for$ettin$ that I was still standin$ there. I called to him. :=un$ ,an$% wait.; *e stopped on command. ae Woo too' his chance to <uestion =un$ ,an$. :If you li'ed her that much% why the hell did you let her $o- Why-3; I wanted to 'now the answer to that one too. :0ecause of you. 0ecause she chose you.; After all these times% he still li'ed her. *ow the hell was that supposed to ma'e me feel- Did he e+en consider my feelin$s- Did he thin' about her more than he thou$ht about meI remember last ni$ht(s words. If it means anything to you) I dream about you every night." Was that a lieae Woo prodded further. :And you- Who do you choose now% =un$ ,an$- =i Won or *ye Min-; =un$ ,an$ didnt reply. *e wal'ed away with his head up% actin$ as if the world ne+er e&isted to him. I dont thin' Ill e+er come to understand =un$ ,an$. #ne moment the li$ht casts itself upon him% ma'in$ him shine bri$hter than a star and within the ne&t% he bathes himself in dar'ness% shuttin$ e+erythin$ and e+eryone out. *e had shut me out that time. *e made me feel li'e a stran$er. A stran$er% and nothin$ more. "es fol's% !ee =i Won bro'e down and cried a$ain. 9osh% Im be$innin$ to hate myself for cryin$ so much. Chp.,1- Mr. <npre'ic!a+#e a.).a PingPongBoy $%.ng Sang is s;i""ingB& Na)Na said% unable to loo' at me in the face. After school% I came strai$ht to =un$ ,an$s house hopin$ to find him to discuss the current situation. I was an$ry with myself for choosin$ to $o after a $uy that wal'ed out on me without a sin$le $lance. I had to remind myself that 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was different and that he must ha+e his reasons for wal'in$ out. My cousin had said the same thin$. %.e seems to handle everything differently. ?o after him and find out why he did what he did.& %Why should I go after a guy who did that to me(& %.e s your boyfriend. 5aybe he has his reasons(& %,ou re sounding rational) ,oon 1ae. 1hat s not a good thing.&

%.ell) I d be $issed off too if my own best friend sle$t with the girl I like.& %.ow can you be sure 0im 1ae Woo didn t say that *ust to $iss off Jung 2ang(& %1hat s why you need to find out.& For once "oon ae was actually soundin$ reasonable. I too' his ad+ice and decided to search for my boyfriend. What a $ood $irlfriend I am. Now here(s my little ad+ice. 9irls% if you e+er stumble upon a $uy such as this one% dump his ass. I always ha+e a problem followin$ my own ad+ices% that(s why I prefer to follow others. hey(re always more helpful. ruthfully% I couldnt $o on hurtin$ myself because =un$ ,an$ couldnt ma'e up his mind in whom he li'es more. I was determined to disco+er the truth one way or another% e+en if it meant puttin$ our relationship on the line. 5ome to thin' of it% our relationship was in fact han$in$ by a thread. Na)Na wasnt too happy either when she saw me. =un$ ,an$ had probably fabricated some lie to $et his niece to side with him. : o be honest% =i Won. =un$ ,an$ doesnt want to see anybody ri$ht now%; Na)Na stated apprehensi+ely. I lowered myself to her le+el% understandin$ her protecti+eness o+er her uncle. 0rushin$ bac' the hair that co+ered her eyes% I said% :Na)Na% sweety. Whate+er =un$ ,an$ told you% its probably a lie. I dont want you to hate me.; :=un$ ,an$ ne+er lies%; she ar$ued% crossin$ her arms sternly in front of her. :*e wouldnt lie. *es an honest person. And if he does lie% its probably for a $ood reason anyway.; :What did he tell you-; :*e said nothin$. #nly that he doesnt want to see anyone at the moment.; : hen how come youre actin$ li'e youre mad at me too-; :0ecause you loo' $uilty.; :Na)Na% listen)))D :If you+e done nothin$ wron$% why are you tryin$ to e&plain yourself% =i Won-; Damn% the 'id was smart. I si$hed in e&asperation% 'nowin$ that I wasnt $oin$ to win o+er her. :I am not tryin$ to e&plain myself. I 6ust want you to understand.: ,he $rabbed my arm% and dra$$ed me alon$ with her. :5ome. !ets $o find out whats really wron$ with him.; When we $ot to the pool area% 2ar' =un$ ,an$ still had on his school uniform. *owe+er% he wasnt swimmin$. *e was floatin$ face down% unmo+in$. :=un$ ,an$-; I called. *e paid no heed. Without further ado% I threw my ba$ down and 6umped into the pool. When I hit the cold water% I swam towards him% flippin$ him o+er. *e cho'ed and spewed out a mouthful of water in my face. hen he opened his eyes and loo'ed at me in surprise. he e&pression was <uic'ly replaced with his usual irritated e&pression. :"ah3 Are you tryin$ to 'ill yourself-3; I screamed at him. *e $ritted his teeth and said% :"ah3 5ant you see that Im floatin$-3; :Who the hell floats li'e that% huh-; I as'ed% smac'in$ his shoulder.

:I was meditatin$ in the water.; :"ou scared the sh8t out of me.; *e swam awayto the ed$e of the pool. :*ow did you $et in here-; I turned to Na)Na as I answered% :Na)Na let me in. ,he)))D I stopped when I reali>ed that Na)Na was no lon$er standin$ there. he 'id was fast and snea'y. I swam towards him and watched as he pulled himself out of the water. *e stood there% drippin$ wet% starin$ down at me% his face contorted in an$er. I couldnt help but catch my breath. Despite the raccoon eye% =un$ ,an$ loo'ed e+en hotter than before. 2erhaps the water did somethin$ to his enhance his appearance. #r maybe I was 6ust $rowin$ accustom to his handsome an$ry face. :"ou shouldnt be here ri$ht now.; =ust when I least e&pected it% he offered his hand out to me. hat sin$le $esture made my heart race a thousand miles. I started to <uestion myself. 5ould I really ris' the relationship o+er my doubts for him- I reached out and he pulled me up. We stood inches apart and stared into each others eyes. I could tell 6ust by loo'in$ in those eyes that he was lost and perhaps confused of his feelin$s. :"ou+e been cryin$ a$ain% ha+ent you-; he <uestioned with his eyes searchin$ my face. I nodded. :Its because of me.; I nodded a$ain% feelin$ the bile risin$ from my throat. I reali>ed that if =un$ ,an$ felt he did wron$% he would e&plain himself. I wouldn(t ha+e to <uestion him. *e placed a tentati+e hand a$ainst my left chee'. :I wont ma'e you cry a$ain% =i Won. I promise I wont. From this day onward% it wont happen a$ain.; I couldnt find my ton$ue to say anythin$ bac' to him. Instead% I was tryin$ to decipher what he meant with what he 6ust stated. *is words could be misleadin$. =ust when I wanted to place my hand o+ertop of his% he withdrew immediately% turnin$ his bac' on me. :Its not wor'in$ out. All of this. We should stop.; I e&pected to hear that line when I came here. *owe+er% I wanted to hear it from my own mouth% not his. :What do you mean by that-; *e spun around an$rily. :What do you thin' I mean- I want us to brea' up.; 4ather than cryin$% I found myself lau$hin$ as if I found it to be stupid. :"oure not serious% are you-; :Im more serious than I+e e+er been%; he replied with a stern e&pression. E+ery sin$le syllable pierced ri$ht throu$h me% li'e cold icicles% cripplin$ e+ery inch of my body. : ell me somethin$ then. "ou+e been usin$ me all alon$% ri$ht-; *e lowered his eyes for a brief second and lifted them to face me a$ain. :No.; :9i+e me a better reason. Find a better reason for our brea'up%; I said% raisin$ my +oice% not understandin$ his true intentions. :I dont want to see you hurt. I dont want my enemies to $o after you. Im afraid what mi$ht happen if you continue to han$ around me. I+e been thin'in$ about it. his time% it went too far. Na)Na was in+ol+ed and so was ,hin *ye Min.; :"ou said yourself that this was you. I made a choice that day% 'nowin$ what I was up a$ainst. I made a choice to be with you in spite of what mi$ht happened. Why are you doin$ this to me now- Are you $oin$ to let all of this stop you now-;

:"ou dont understand3; he burst. :What dont I understand- ell me-; :0ecause I dont li'e you enou$h. I feel that its unfair on your part. "ou do all of this. Dont you see- "ou came after me e+en if I wal'ed out on you. Why do this- Do you 'now how that ma'es me feel% =i Won- I feel li'e a coward. I feel ashamed. If I was such a lo+in$ boyfriend% I wouldnt ha+e done that to you in front of e+eryone. ,o that ma'es me a fool.; Naturally my tears would ha+e flowed out of my eyes by now% but nothin$ came out. I was out of tears. I was numbed from head to toe. he only thin$ I could feel was the achin$ in my heart. :All my life% I played 6ust about e+ery sin$le sport because I wanted a sense of accomplishment. Do you 'now why0ecause of one $irl. #ne $irl once told me that I couldnt do it. hat I couldnt play anythin$. ,he said that I was useless. ,he said that I was an u$ly useless boy. Do you 'now how that made me feel% =i Won- At that a$e% ha+in$ a $irl tellin$ me that I was useless and u$ly)))I felt helpless and worthless. 0ecause of her% I did all of that because I wanted to impress her.; I could barely hear myself spea'in$% but I felt my heart bein$ s<uee>in$ to$ether. : hat $irl is ,hin *ye Min% ri$ht-; *e swallowed as if he was afraid to answer me. Finally he said% :"es.; :I see.; :Its not what you thin'% =i Won.; I shoo' my head sli$htly% turnin$ my bac' on him. he wei$ht in my le$s held me down. I wanted to collapse in front of him. :Its o'ay. "ou dont ha+e to e&plain anythin$ further.; :"ou said for me to $i+e you a $ood reason. I am $i+in$ you a $ood reason ri$ht now% =i Won. *ear me out first3; *e was ri$ht. I should hear him out. 0ut the more I hear him out% the more I was $oin$ to hurt myself. I feared what I mi$ht hear because I didn(t want to e&perience the pain. :It was some time when she started to accept me as a person. ,he no lon$er called me u$ly or tell me that I was useless. We became really $ood friends. I started to reali>e that I could do anythin$ for this $irl because I li'ed her that much. ,o I $a+e her whate+er I could. It was until ?im ae Woo came into the picture% she chan$ed. ,he didnt loo' at me the same anymore. I was an$ry with myself because I reali>ed that she ne+er li'ed me more than that. I was 6ust a friend to her% and nothin$ more. I felt li'e a failure. I often wonder what ae Woo had besides his loo's. *e didnt play any sports. *e didnt try to $et close to *ye Min and she li'ed him for that. I wasted my time% =i Won. I wasted my time on ,hin *ye Min. ,he wal'ed out on me% so dont thin' that I dont 'now how youre feelin$ li'e this +ery moment. "ou ha+e e+ery reason to be upset with me.; I could hear his footsteps behind me. I felt his hand on my shoulder% turnin$ me around to face him. I refused to loo' up into his face because he mi$ht 6ust see how much I was hurtin$. :!oo' at me%; he said. I raised my eyes to loo' at him because I couldnt help myself. A trace of a smile appeared on his lips. :"oure not cryin$. I dont 'now if thats a $ood thin$.; *e si$hed and then said% :I bro'e our promise% =i Won. I promised to be a $ood boyfriend% but I 'now Im not. I disappointed myself and you mostly.; *e was spea'in$ of the time when we sealed our promise to become a couple. hat promise has been bro'en. :*ye Min was the one that te&t messa$ed me and told me that she was afraid ae Woo mi$ht ha+e ta'en ad+anta$e of her last ni$ht. I was afraid. 0ecause I had chosen to let her $o% I was afraid that I failed her a$ain. If I fail to protect her% how will I e+er protect anyone else- hat made me thin' about my pin$)pon$ $ame with those people. I thou$ht about how I endan$ered not only you% but two other people I still care about.; What was there to understand about the entire situation- 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was afraid of failure% and he was afraid of ma'in$ the same mista'e o+er a$ain. *e e+en downri$ht admitted that he didnt li'e me as much as I li'ed him. Was this supposed to be apart of a real relationship- 2ar' =un$ ,an$ ne+er li'ed me as much as I thou$ht as he did. I thou$ht all

relationships were meant to be e<ual)))or rather the $uy li'es the $irl more than she li'es him- 0ut this one. My first relationship with Mr. Bpredictable turns out to well1to put it in a simpler term% unpredictable. :Were two different people% =un$ ,an$. Dont you see% Im standin$ ri$ht in front you- What are you really afraid of- Are you afraid that you cant protect me-; :No. Im afraid that I cant ma'e you happy. I always told you ne+er to doubt me because I doubt myself all the time%; he paused% :youre different. I was ne+er used to ha+in$ someone care for me the way you do. I wanted to understand that part of a relationship.; *e smiled. :"ou made me really happy when I thou$ht I couldnt be.; :Dont spea' in past tense% =un$ ,an$. Its not o+er yet.; :Im a luc'y bastard% arent I- I ha+e a $irl that li'es me so much that she doesnt want to let me $o e+en when I tell her that I want to brea' up with her. Im not $ood enou$h for you% =i Won. "oull hurt yourself.; :Dont act this way3; I yelled% sic' and frustrated of his persistent beha+ior. :Its o+er.; I shoo' my head. :No. I 'now what youre tryin$ to do. "oure tryin$ to push me away for some reason you cant tell me.; *e closed his eyes momentarily. :I 6ust need time.; :For what- ,o you can mope around and dwell in your past- "oure a selfish inconsiderate bastard% you 'now that-; DI don(t want another failed relationship% =i Won3D he e&ploded. DIt hurts. And I(m stoppin$ it before it cuts me any deeper.D DWe can try)))D *e cut me off. :Dont ma'e this harder than it already is% I be$ you. And dont ta'e this the wron$ way. I am brea'in$ up with you% !ee =i Won% but it doesnt mean that I dont li'e you. I still li'e you a whole lot. I 6ust thin' we need to spend time apart from each other. Im not doin$ this because of ,hin *ye Min. I am brea'in$ up with you)))D he paused% as if he was afraid to let somethin$ slip. :I am brea'in$ up with you% but on one condition.; :What-; : he condition is1that you dont see anyone else while were apart.; :What-; My lines were becomin$ redundant. :After our brea'up% you cant see any other $uys. "ou cant $o out with any other $uy. And Ill do the same. I wont $o see any other $irl or date any other $irl.; :I dont understand you. If we brea' up% what ri$ht do you ha+e on me-; :A brea'up promise.; :No. If I brea' up with you% then Ill $o see any $uy I want to. "ou ha+e no say in this matter3; :I do now. Were not bro'en up yet.; :"oure really confusin$ me% =un$ ,an$.; :"oure confusin$ yourself. And with you bein$ slow doesnt ma'e it any better.; *e still had the ner+e to insult me- 2ray to 9od that it wasnt another one of his tests. *e crossed his arms the way Na)Na had done. :As of ri$ht now% I ha+e the ri$ht to spea' to you as your boyfriend and offer you a condition that you will ha+e to a$ree to. And that is not to see any $uy once the brea'up is o+er.; :I dont ha+e to a$ree to that. hat 6ust means we wont brea' up if I dont a$ree to it.; 9osh% I hate myself for bein$ so

damn stubborn. I was an$ry because I should be tellin$ him all these thin$s% not +ice +ersa. :We could end this in a $ood way% or we could end it in the bad way.; :Whats the bad way-; :Well still brea' up% but it will be official. Well 6ust $o our separate ways and ne+er see each other a$ain. Ill 6ust run bac' to ,hin *ye Min and)))D I interrupted him at the mention of ,hin *ye Mins name. :Dont you dare $o to her3 "ou $o to her and Ill $o searchin$ for !ee =i *oon3; D!ee =i *oon is a lot better than me.D DMaybe...he is.D DAnd maybe he(s $ay too-D D,hut up. "ou 'now nothin$ about him.D DAnd you don(t either.D DWell. I 'now that I(m a lot better than ,hin *ye Min because)))because I(m selfless. 0ut mainly because I li'e you for you and I don(t $i+e a damn about any other $uy and because I refuse to wal' away.D *e lowered his eyes a$ain. D"ou(re ri$ht. *ye Min can(t compare to someone li'e you.D hat was probably the best compliment =un$ ,an$ e+er $a+e me. I didn(t 'now how to react to that. :,o what then- Will you a$ree to the brea'up promise-; :And what e&actly are we $ettin$ out of this-; *e reached out to pat my head as if I was some 'ind of do$. :,omethin$ new perhaps. A better understandin$ of our relationship.; I slapped his hand away. :Dont touch me. Im still an$ry at you.; :2eople brea' up all the time. Its normal.; I was fumin$ at this point. :2eople dont brea' up li'e this% you dumbass3 At least)))not the way we do3; *e was smir'in$. : hen% well be the first.; *e was too damn calm about it. I loo'ed at him suspiciously. :What the hell is that supposed to mean- Arent you e+en $oin$ to consider our relationship and what we+e been throu$h-; :If I didnt consider it% I wouldnt bein$ doin$ this ri$ht now.; !i'e I said countless times before% there was still much to learn about 2in$2on$0oy. I really couldnt understand why it was happenin$ but it was happenin$ and there was nothin$ I could do to stop it. I wanted to cry and react irrationally. I wanted to do e+erythin$ a normal $irl would do when she $ot dumped. I couldnt find myself doin$ any of that because this was all too surreal. ,tarin$ at him now% I wanted to lau$h in his face. I tried to force bac' the memories we first shared to$ether as a couple. :Its o+er% isnt it-; :"es. For now it is.; :"ou dont loo' upset.;

:"ou dont either.; :Im all cried out.; : his isnt the end% =i Won.; *e was playin$ coldG I mi$ht as well 6oin him. :Maybe for you it isnt. And please dont say my name li'e that.; :Its not o+er yet.; :No% not yet. I ha+e somethin$ to say to you first.; :What is it-; :I hate you for doin$ this.; :"oull than' me later.; I didnt want to 'now what he meant by that. :2eople will tal'.; :!et them.; :I want them to 'now that I dumped you% =un$ ,an$)))not the other way around.; : hen tell them yourself% if you care so much about what they thin' of you.; :I could 'ic' you ri$ht now.; *e stuc' his arm out. :"ou could always bite me instead.; :Its not the same anymore.; *e withdrew his arm% for$ettin$ his place. :"oure ri$ht.; : heres more.; :9o on.; :"oure a 6er'. A d8c'head li'e all them $uys. I hate you3 I hate you so much ri$ht now that its 'illin$ me3; I turned bac' around and strode o+er to pic' up my ba$. en feet away from me stood Ahn Na)Na% loo'in$ e&tremely upset with tears in her eyes. ,he probably heard e+erythin$ we discussed. From there on out% I 'new e+erythin$ was $oin$ downhill. :Na)Na-; ,he pouted her lips and fled the scene before I could stop her. I turned to see that =un$ ,an$ had already hurried after her. Damn. his wasnt $oin$ well at all. Chp.,5- S!rangers Because I dont like you enough. I burped and slumped down on the bench e&haustin$ly. he same words replayed o+er and o+er in my head. I felt tired% heartbro'en and so +ery drun'. I+e always seen it happen in the boo's or read it in the no+els that when a person $ets depressed o+er lo+e% they either $et drun' or become suicidal.

Drin'in$ is safer than the latter so Ill ta'e my chances. "ou could e+en say that I was +ery lost at the moment and yet somehow I mana$ed to $et to the subway station% seated at the same spot where =un$ ,an$ had first impressed me with his fi$htin$ s'ills. I dont recall how lon$ I+e been sittin$ there. I thin' two trains passed me already. I couldnt $et up to lea+e because I didnt want to. I really couldnt $o home in my drun'en state and ha+e my parents lecture me either. I didnt e+en ha+e my cell phone on me so I couldnt call for "oon aes help. I sat there $a>in$ into nothin$ness% allowin$ my mind to con6ure up the memories of the times I had spent with =un$ ,an$. E+ery time I thou$ht about him% I felt the hole in my heart% li'e somethin$ missin$. here was emptiness% a +oid% and a reminder that I was no lon$er with him. I pounded on my chest. :"ah3 !ee =i Won1stop it.; ,ha'in$ my head +i$orously% I added% :Dont1thin' about him.; he ne&t thin$ I 'new% I had fallen off the bench% lyin$ face flat a$ainst the $round. !ord 'nows how many times I ha+e done that already. :Aish3 5ouldnt you be more1careful% huh-; I slurred% tryin$ to push myself to sit up. When I succeeded% I sat a$ainst the bench instead% belchin$ loudly li'e a man who had 6ust finished downin$ a 6u$ of beer. :Are you o'ay-; a males +oice as'ed from behind me. I tried to loo' around% but I couldnt see anyone. appin$ my temple I said% :"ou must be really drun'% =i Won. "oure startin$ to hear +oices in your head.; :Im standin$ directly behind you. Do you need me to help you up on the bench-; the +oice as'ed a$ain. I turned my head fully to see the fi$ure standin$ directly behind me there. he $uy resembled a shadow. *e was dar'. I couldnt describe him. *e 6ust loo'ed +ery dar'. I couldnt e+en see his face because he was cloa'ed in his 6ac'et and the hood hid his face. :#h1I thou$ht I was16ust)))hearin$ thin$s.: :Do you need me to help you $et home safely-; What kind of @uestion was that( I dont thin' I heard him properly. :Well1no. "oure 6ust a stran$er to me. *ow do I 'now1youre not $onna try and hurt me% huh- Why would I put my life in a stran$ers hand-; I as'ed% reali>in$ that my +oice was $ettin$ louder. ?osh) Ji Won. Why are you even s$eaking to a stranger( :Its o'ay. Im o'ay. "ou can lea+e. 9o%; I said% wa+in$ him off as if I had the control o+er him. :"ou must be heartbro'en%; he stated boldly. Who does this guy thinks he is( :*ow would you 'now-; I could tell that he was $ettin$ closer. It appeared as if he was almost $lidin$ towards me. Ai$oo3 What if he was a $hostMy heart started to race in ner+ousness. I was suddenly scared. :A pretty $irl li'e you% drin'in$ at your a$e- "eah% you must be heartbro'en%; he confirmed. I found myself smilin$ at his compliment. : han' you. 0ut1you can mind your own business.; *e came around to sit on the bench beside me. I tried to loo' up at him% but my nec' started to hurt so I 6ust sat there unmo+in$. :Im heartbro'en too%; he said. I pointed to myself% nearly po'in$ my own eyes out. :Why1are you tellin$ me this-; :Maybe we can relate-; :Why would I want to relate with you- "oure a stran$er.;

:,tran$er I may be% but when it comes down to it% only a stran$er can help you when youre in need.; *e had a $ood point. hat made me wonder how he was $oin$ to help me. :Whats your problem- Wanna hear my problem first-; :Bh))): I didnt wait for him to answer. :I 6ust1I 6ust bro'e up with my stupid retarded boyfriend who says1who says1that1who says1; I tried to remember his e&act words and end up comin$ up with nothin$% :anyway% hes 6ust really inconsiderate.; :Did he cheat on you-; I shoo' my head. : hen why-; :Apparently% he says that1says that he doesnt li'e me that much.; :And thats why he bro'e up with you-; :"es.; :What a bastard. Did you 'ill him-; I shoo' my head a$ain. :No. Im not a 'iller. "ou cra>y- 0ut)))but maybe I did picture it inside my head. I pictured myself1; I paused% mo+in$ my hands up to $i+e him a +isual. : wistin$ his handsome head li'e this1you 'now1li'e how you would twist a cap off a bottle. hats how%; I e&plained% endin$ it off with a smile on my face. I couldnt tell what the stran$er was thin'in$ beneath the 6ac'et of his because I could barely see his face% but I fi$ured he understood since he nodded. :What about you- What did your $irlfriend do-; :My $irlfriend- Well% she was 6ust too $ood for my taste. I dont deser+e her. ,he fits the preference of the type of $irl I+e always wanted to be with. 0ut I bro'e up with her because she made me feel inferior.; :Wah1then she must be really heartbro'en to hear you say that you want to brea' up with her because shes too $ood1; :"eah% and besides% she once called me u$ly. No% wait. ,he called me u$ly more than once.; : hats not really nice%; I said% tryin$ to ma'e him feel better. :No% but I $uess I could understand why she called me u$ly...; he trailed off. I turned to loo' at him pu>>lin$ly. :,o1youre really u$ly then- Is that why youre hidin$ under the hood-; *e slid o+er on the bench% thin'in$ I was $oin$ to attac' him and draw his hood bac'. :"eah% I thin' I am.; I was curious at this point. I wanted to see his face clearer% but bein$ drun' didnt help. :"ou thin'% but you dont 'now-; :!ets not1tal' about my face.; I a$reed% bobbin$ my head in response. :Why do some people ha+e stupid reasons for brea'ups- o be honest1I1I dont e+en 'now the real reason why he bro'e up with me.; :Maybe hes afraid of this commitment he has with you-; :Why would he be-; :Maybe because hes been hurt before-; I thou$ht about what =un$ ,an$ said% so I answered% :"es. *e has been.;

:Ah% I see.; I loo'ed around i$norantly. :,ee what- ,he what% huh-; :I meant% I understand.; :#h.; :*es afraid of hurtin$ a$ain. And he probably doesnt want to hurt you either so he decides that he wants to brea' up with you. hats pretty reasonable.; :"ah3 Are you sidin$ with him-; :No.; :Dont side with that loser3; I warned. :Im not. Im 6ust tryin$ to place myself in his shoes.; :#h.; :,o what do you thin' of him- Do you thin' he ma'es a $ood boyfriend-; I thou$ht about =un$ ,an$s smilin$ face. :"es. "es% he does to me. I mean)))when we first started to li'e each other))) hes the worst person on the planet. *e was rude% obno&ious% arro$ant and +ery a+era$e loo'in$. I mean)))hes super) handsome but somehow he was really $ood at hidin$ himself.; I lau$hed. :I used to call him an u$ly horse because he had a personality of a horse. *e was +ery stubborn% but not so much anymore after we dated. *e has so many flaws. I really dont 'now why I li'e him. And then this other time))); :,orry to interrupt but I ha+e a <uestion. Was he worth it- I mean% seein$ that you two ha+e bro'en up% was he worth the time-; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was in e+ery way worth it. :"es%; I answered honestly. :,o you bro'e up with a $ood person.; *e made it sound more li'e <uestion. :No. "ou $ot this all wron$. hat bastard bro'e up with me. Im the $ood person here3; :,o two $ood people bro'e up with each other-; I was sli$htly confused. :*uh- Dont confuse me.; :,orry.; :,pea'in$ of confusion1he was always confusin$ me with his words. I ne+er 'now what to belie+e. Its 'ind of hard to be around him sometimes.; :If you could chan$e time and $o bac' to that brea'up point% what would you ha+e told him-; :I would ha+e1I would ha+e told him that what he was tryin$ to do didnt matter1that1that I lo+e him and I dont care if he feels the same way)))wait I do care1but all I want is for him to return the same 'ind of affection1at least1; I paused% feelin$ the tears sproutin$ from my eyes% :Im cryin$. My $osh% Im cryin$3; :"ou dont care. Does that mean that if he had as'ed whether or not you wanted this brea'up% you would ha+e told him no% ri$ht-; :Ah ha.; :What else would you ha+e told him-;

:I would ha+e told him that he needs to learn how to mo+e on and ta'e chances. *e needs to accept our relationship for what it is and deal with it. *e 6ust needs to tell me that he li'es me more than I li'e him. hats all I wanted to hear. When he told me he didnt li'e me enou$h% I 'new that he was lyin$. *e probably lied because he wanted to push me away. *is niece% Na)Na who is the cutest little $irl in the world% told me that =un$ ,an$ would lie% but he would lie only for a $ood reason. ,o I thin' he was lyin$ when he said that.; :I a$ree. I bet he li'es you a whole lot. I bet hes hurtin$ more than you are ri$ht now. I bet he e+en bro'e down and cried after you left him.; :"ou thin'-; I shoo' my head in disa$reement. :Nah% I dont thin' 2ar' =un$ ,an$ is capable of cryin$. *e was 6ust so normal about it.; :E+ery person with a heart cries.; :"eah% I $uess.; It felt better 'nowin$ that =un$ ,an$ mi$ht be cryin$ his eyes out ri$ht now. *e was probably off somewhere drun'% confidin$ in some stran$er too. :2ar' =un$ ,an$% huh-; :"es. hats his name.; :*e plays pin$)pon$% ri$ht-; :"eah% hes a pro.; :*es pretty popular.; :"eah% e+en if he doesnt want to be.; ,ilence fell between us. My curiosity for this stran$er was startin$ to bu$ me. *e 'new more about me than I 'new about him. :What about you- Do you re$ret brea'in$ up with your $irlfriend-; :I reali>ed now that what I did was wron$. 2erhaps Im 6ust li'e 2ar' =un$ ,an$. Im afraid that Ill end up hurtin$ my $irlfriend and myself. ,he really lo+ed me and I ended up brea'in$ her heart. ,hes worth e+erythin$ to me and maybe more.; *e shoo' his head throu$h the hood. :Damn% Im a bastard% arent I-; I reached out to pat his thi$h. :Its o'ay. "ou1could always $o bac' to her and confess your undyin$ lo+e for her and tell her that you made a hu$e mista'e. ell her that1that you ran into some stran$er on the street and after ha+in$ a tal' with1with that person% you reali>ed what a foolish mista'e you made. heres always room for for$i+eness. And Im pretty sure she belie+es in second chances% because1because I do.; *e placed his hand $ently o+er mind and then s<uee>ed it in reassurance. : han's for chattin$ with me. I feel much better.; :No. I ha+e to than' you.; *e pulled his hand away and stood up. :,o% shall I wal' you home or do you want me to $et on the train with you-; :Well1what I really want is1; :What do you want-; : o be honest% I dont 'now what Im doin$ here. "ou could carry me to my home on your bac'. =ust dont brin$ me to a motel.; :Alri$ht.; *e offered his hand to help me up. I too' it $ladly and went to stand behind him as he boosted me up onto his bac'. :"ou o'ay-; he as'ed. :I feel really tall ri$ht now%; I replied% feelin$ sli$htly relie+ed that this stran$er was willin$ to help me e+en when I dont

'now who he was. :"ou wanna 'now somethin$ else- I once $ot into a car with a stran$er and nearly $ot myself in bi$ trouble. Now Im puttin$ my life in another stran$ers hands. Im really stupid sometimes. I dont 'now why I trust people so easily.; :Dont worry. I wont 'ill you. Im a different 'ind of stran$er. #ne that $i+es you a pi$$ybac' ride home.; : han' you.; *e started to wal'. :What would your boyfriend say if he sees you li'e this-; :*e wouldnt say anythin$1not until after he beats you up first.; he stran$er chuc'led. :*es that tou$h-; :,ometimes% he is. ,ometimes% he isnt.; :I thin' most $uys are li'e that.; :*ey. I $ot a <uestion for you-; :"es-; :Do you lo+e your $irlfriend more than she li'es you-; :"es% I do.; I smac'ed him on the shoulder. :Now% thats what she wants to hear3; *e murmured% :"es.; :I $ot another <uestion for you.; :"es-; :Are you really u$ly-; :Maybe.; :Maybe-; :Maybe as in% I mi$ht be.; :#h%; I said% starin$ at his hood. It would only ta'e small tu$ to find out. As if readin$ my mind% he said% :Dont e+en thin' about it% or Ill drop you.; :Whoa% I ne+er 'new you could sound so not nice. "ou remind me of someone.; :Who- "our boyfriend-; :"es.; I dont recall what else I said to the stran$er that ni$ht. All I remember was feelin$ really comfortable with him. Chp.,6- 0r.!h +ehin' !he s!ranger I! ;as one oEc#oc) in !he a7!ernoon when I wo'e up feelin$ li'e ten thousand bric's had fallen on my head. I dont e&actly recall what happened to me last ni$ht. All I 'new was that I had $otten drun'% pu'ed a couple of times and met some stran$er at the subway station. o be honest% I dont remember what I blabbed about% but the stran$er was willin$ enou$h to listen and I thin' that was all that mattered. 0ut li'e e+ery sane person% I had to <uestion his act of 'indness. here was somethin$ odd about the way he was hidin$ under his hood. It was li'e he was afraid to re+eal his true identity.

I would say that he was almost li'e an eni$ma. I rolled o+er and mumbled% :Will you e+er $et to see him a$ain-; :"ou found yourself a new $uy already-; came the +oice from somewhere in my room. I <uic'ly lifted my head to notice "oon ae standin$ there% holdin$ onto a $lass of somethin$. I hate it when he does that. :What are you doin$ in here-; I as'ed% buryin$ my face into the pillow. :*ere. Drin' it. Itll help.; I raised my head to find that "oon ae had sho+ed the $lass near my face. he li<uid was $reen in color. I felt the bile risin$ from my throat the moment the smell hit me. It was a foul smell% li'e raw e$$s and old soc's. I nearly hurled when I said% :"ou tryin$ to 'ill me-; :I cut class to come and see how you were doin$. ,o at least you can do is your show appreciation by drin'in$ this%; he scolded. :"oud find any reason to s'ip class% "oon ae. And put that thin$ away before I pu'e on you.; :Fine%; he said% placin$ the $lass away and mo+in$ to sit beside me on the bed. : eacher must be pissed that Im not at school%; I muttered miserably% turnin$ my bac' on my cousin. : hats the least of your problems.; : hen whats the real problem-; I <uestioned without loo'in$ at him. here were enou$h problems in my lifeG I really didnt need anymore to multiply it. :Its about your boyfriend.; :*es my e&)boyfriend%; I corrected him% feelin$ that same tu$ at the ed$e of my heart whene+er it came to =un$ ,an$. :"eah% well your e&)boyfriend is no lon$er attendin$ our school. eachers at school said he left)))6ust li'e that. *e wont be returnin$.; I <uic'ly sat up and loo'ed at my cousin in <uestion. :What-; :2ar' =un$ ,an$ is $one.; I shoo' my head and be$an to panic% refusin$ to allow the truth to sin' in. :No. *e cant be)))no.; Bnwillin$ for "oon ae to finish e&plainin$% I threw my le$s o+er the side of the bed and rushed down the stairs towards the telephone. I dialed =un$ ,an$s number and waited for an answer only to disco+er that the number was no lon$er in ser+ice. "oon ae came up to stand behind me. :Its no use. I tried that too.; : hen Im $onna $et chan$e and $o to his apartment.; :I was there too. No one is home.; I loo'ed at my cousin in helplessness. :What am I $oin$ to do-; :9o to his parents house. 9o see Na)Na.; I nodded. :"eah. We still ha+e Na)Na.; ))) : heyre both $one. Im sorry%; Mr. 2ar' e&plained as I stood there across from him remainin$ motionless.

Mr. 2ar' who was $a>in$ out the window% turned bac' to face me. :=un$ ,an$ be$$ed me not to tell you. It was the only way Na)Na would a$ree to $o.; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ left with Na)Na. hey were $one out of the country. I finally understood why he did what he did. It wasnt because of his insecurity with out relationship% or his lac' of protectin$ meG it was more than that. *e had a real reason. It was because of Ahn Na)Na. Na)Na had refused to lea+e the country to $o and li+e with her real family. =un$ ,an$ had to find a way to brea' up our relationship in order to $et her to lea+e. Now let me tell you a little more about Ahn Na)Nas history with the 2ar' family and why she $rew an attachment towards =un$ ,an$. Ahn Na)Nas father was a close friend of Mr. 2ar'. *e was also =un$ ,an$s pin$)pon$ instructor. he man had fallen in lo+e with a woman from a low class family and married her without his parents consent. hey both had a child and named her Ahn Na)Na. Na)Na was only fi+e when she met 2ar' =un$ ,an$. *e had impressed the fi+e)year)old $irl with his ability to play pin$)pon$. And soon after% Na)Na wanted to be around =un$ ,an$ more often% so she insisted that =un$ ,an$ become her instructor. hey became so close that Na)Na started to call =un$ ,an$ her uncle and =un$ ,an$ started to treat her li'e a niece. ra$edy struc' when Na)Na had lost her parents in a car accident two years a$o. ,he was left under Mr. 2ar's care until her real family decided to ta'e her away outside of the country. Na)Na came bac' to +isit the 2ar' family as often as she could because she en6oyed their company more. Within the last year% her family had allowed her to $et her education in ,eoul and she was to remain under the 2ar's household% but the decision was altered when the school board decided that Na)Na education in ,eoul should be discontinued due to the fact that she was more ad+anced than the other students in her class. When it came down to it% Na)Na had to $o bac'. For the past two wee's% she had refused to lea+e and insisted that she stayed in ,eoul. ,he wanted to be a normal child with a normal education li'e all the other students. ,he didnt li'e bein$ different% especially when she was without parents. Mr. 2ar' had told me that she was had cried all ni$ht when she heard of the news. =un$ ,an$ who was also upset% could only find one solution. *e was con+inced that if he bro'e up with me% Na)Na would also learn to let $o. I $uess it wor'ed. hey were both $one. hat was the end of it people. here was no more babysittin$% no more pin$)pon$% no more Na)Na and no more 2ar' =un$ ,an$. here was only lonesome !ee =i Won who was bac' to where she started. Well% not e&actly bac' to where she started because her heart was ne+er bro'en to be$in with. ))) 0;o !o !hree ;ee)s #a!erL :I cant belie+e he left li'e that. hat bastard doesnt deser+e a $irl li'e you anyway%; ?im ,oo =in blatantly stated while sittin$ across from me% sippin$ on her ice)cold soda throu$h a straw. I had to shift her attention elsewhere. I didnt feel li'e discussin$ my past relationship with 2ar' =un$ ,an$% whose name still haunted me and was $oin$ to haunt me for the rest of my life. wo wee's had $one by after our brea'up and nothin$ chan$ed% e&cept for my need to $et out more and do somethin$ spontaneous 6ust so that I could $et o+er him. As for this brea'up promise% I found myself 'eepin$ my side of the bar$ain re$ardless of all the $uys that as'ed me out e+er since they heard that I was sin$le a$ain. Why was I doin$ it- Maybe because I was still holdin$ on. :"ah3 Did you lose wei$ht-; I as'ed ,oo =in out of randomness. :4eally- Does it loo' li'e it-; ,he smiled% pullin$ her mouth away from her straw. :I should $et the po& more often.; here was definitely somethin$ different about ,oo =in. It loo'ed as if she had $otten prettier. :"oure loo'in$ better. heres a $low about you.; ,he mo+ed in closer% placin$ a soft hand o+er mine. My $osh. ,oo =ins hands were soft too3 :I ha+e a secret.; I bet it was some beauty secret. :What-;

:!ee =i *oon. *e called me out two ni$hts a$o%; she said e&citedly. :!ee =i *oon-3 he handsome waiter boy-3; I blurted in surprise. :4i$ht.; his was wron$. ?im ,oo =in wasnt capable of attractin$ a $uy li'e !ee =i *oon whos way o+er her lea$ue. :I found out last ni$ht that hes into chubby $irls3; she boasted% twirlin$ a tendril of her hair with her fin$er. :*e told you that-; I as'ed incredulously. ,he placed her mouth o+er her straw and the color in her chee's deepened. :No% of course not. I fi$ured that on my own.; I felt the need to ar$ue with her. I wanted to tell her that I saw him first. 0ut my childish antics werent $oin$ to $et me anywhere. I fi$ured it only the aftereffects of my brea'up. :Ah% so thats why youre loo'in$ so $ood.; ,he nodded. : hat and the fact that I ha+e ma'eup on. #f course% I cant say the same for you.; I offered her a compliment% and in return she offered me an insult. What 'ind of friend was she- :What-; :"eah. "ou loo' li'e)))li'e someone whos on the brin' of becomin$ suicidal.; If only you knew. :I thin' Im becomin$ a re$ular drun'.; :"ou meant alcoholic.; :I am not an alcoholic3; I ar$ued. :Why would I 'ill myself o+er one $uy-; :Well for one thin$% youre holdin$ onto a bottle of so6u. And secondly% were inside a bar% tryin$ to appear older than we actually are% and thirdly if you dont lower that bottle% people are $oin$ to start suspectin$ us and well $et our asses 'ic'ed out of here.; I loo'ed to my hand to see that it was raised in the air with the bottle clutched between my fin$ers. 9rowin$ embarrassed% I placed the bottle bac' down and sun' lower in my seat. "es% people. !ee =i Won is corrupted. I nearly for$ot that I was seated inside a bar. oo add on to that% I was playin$ dress up% not because I wanted to feel attracti+e and ha+e the $uys $i+e me $oo$ley eyes% but simply because I wanted to feel more confident that I was capable of ha+in$ that sort of effect on the $uys e+en after my brea'up. *ell% I dont 'now if I ma'e any sense. ,oo =ins phone started to +ibrate a$ainst the table. ,he pic'ed it up% loo'ed at the number beamed happily before answerin$ it. :#ppa% is that you-; I bet that was her lo+erboy !ee =i *oon. Fully aware that I was starin$ at her% she turned her head away and said% :I cant tal' to you ri$ht now. !et me e&cuse myself first.; ,he loo'ed bac' at me and said% :Im $onna $o to the washroom.; I nodded% feelin$ li'e I+e been cheated. here was ?im ,oo =in answerin$ her boyfriends call while I sat% starin$ $lumly with en+ious. I watched her lea+e before I plopped my head down and whined% :=i Won% are you 6ealous of your own friend-; A hand touched my shoulder% drawin$ me out of my pathetic state. I loo'ed up to see ?im ae Woo starin$ down at me with a smile on his face. *e was wearin$ a slee' 6ac'et o+er some printed fashionable shirt and a pair of e&pensi+e shades to co+er his eyes. *e also wore blac' denims with a wallet chain dan$lin$ from it. *is hair was $elled and styled nicely and he smelled really $ood. o be more specific% he resembled some catalo$ue model. I bet he had no problem $ettin$ inside the bar. :"ou feelin o'ay-; I didnt li'e how he was smilin$ at me. A$ain% I always $et the feelin$ that he was moc'in$ me. I shoo' my head in response.

*e sat down across from me and pointed. :"ou ha+e dar' smud$es around your eyes.; :I thin' I 'now that%; I lied% not wantin$ him to thin' that I was obli+ious. :@ery unappealin$% if you as' me.; :Well% I didnt as' you.; :I 6ust thou$ht you wanted to hear it.; :I dont.; :Well% I thou$ht you did.; I fi$ured he didnt approach me to ar$ue% so I as'ed% :What are you doin$ here-; :What does a person do when they come into a bar-; :Are you tryin$ to ma'e me feel stupid-; :Are you tryin$ to $et me to feel li'e Im ma'in$ you feel stupid-; :I 'now. "oure tryin$ to confuse me. Its not wor'in$ so stop it.; *e chuc'led amusin$ly. :And whats your reason toni$ht-; :4eason for what-; : o drin'.; :I 6ust felt li'e it. "ourself-; :No reason. =ust to drin'.; *e loo'ed around as if he was idly chec'in$ the whole place out. :Althou$h% I didnt e&pect to see you here too.; :I $o out too you 'now%; I said% reachin$ for the bottle to pour into my shot $lass when he sei>ed the bottle from my $rasp. :"ou+e had enou$h. Ill drin' the rest%; he said before downin$ the rest of the bottle. :"ah% I paid for that3; :Ill pay you bac'%; he said% placin$ the bottle down and then entwined this fin$ers to$ether as if he was prepared to offer me some 'ind of proposition. :!oo'% I understand that youre only sufferin$ from a brea'up and that))): :,hut up. Dont brin$ it up.; *e raised his hand as if he surrendered. :Im sorry. I didnt mean to step on your toes.; I $lared. :If youre here to tal' about my brea'up with that stupid person% then you mi$ht as well wal' away now.; *e sat bac' a$ainst his chair and then settled both his le$s comfortably on the table. here he $oes a$ain% loo'in$ cool e+en when hes not tryin$ to be. :I came because =un$ ,an$ had as'ed me to watch o+er you while hes away. hats all.; Did that mean =un$ ,an$ had resol+ed the issue he had with ae Woo- I really couldnt understand their relationship. #ne day they were ready to rip each other apart and the ne&t% they were bac' to bein$ friends a$ain. :Why would he as' you to ta'e care of me-; :,hould he 6ust as' a stran$er then-; :I am as'in$ you a <uestion.; :"oure not as'in$ the ri$ht 'ind of <uestions.;

:"oure ma'in$ me an$ry% ae Woo.; :Im sorry you feel that way% =i Won.; I thou$ht about the time that I was drun' and about the stran$er in the subway station. 2erhaps he was no stran$er at all2erhaps he was ?im ae Woo who was sent out by =un$ ,an$ to watch o+er me. :"ou were there that ni$ht% ri$ht-; 5onfusion crossed his face. :What ni$ht-; : he ni$ht I was drun'. Dont act li'e you dont 'now what Im tal'in$ about.; *e shoo' his head sli$htly. :I+e no clue what youre tal'in$ about.; Maybe it wasnt him. I was 6ust 6umpin$ to conclusions. :,o youre li'e =un$ ,an$s watch do$ then-; *e <uic'ly remo+ed his le$s from the table and stood up% leanin$ o+er me with an$er in his eyes. :Are you tryin$ to insult me-; :Im not tryin$. I am insultin$ you.; I stood up% $rabbed my ba$ and matched his stance% brin$in$ my face inches to his. :I dont need you to watch o+er me.; *e smir'ed and I reali>ed that he was starin$ at my mouth. :Dont tempt me%; he warned. I wasnt $oin$ to tempt him anymore than that. I 'new he would ha+e probably 'issed me. I felt +ulnerable and decided to lea+e it li'e it was. E+erythin$ about the whole situation was wron$. ))) he ne&t thin$ I 'new% ?im ae Woo was seated ne&t to me on the bench inside the subway station. ae Woo yawned and leaned bac'. :What ma'es you thin' hes $oin$ to show up today-; :If he does show up% Im $onna as' him out.; :,o you li'e this $uy- Is this your way of $ettin$ o+er someone-; *e snorted derisi+ely% :"ou dont e+en 'now him.; :,hut up. "ou stay out of this.; *e chuc'led. :Dont you find this all a little ridiculous- I was as'ed by my best friend to watch o+er his e&)$irlfriend% so that she doesnt do anythin$ stupid. Not only that but shes waitin$ for some deformed)cloa'ed stran$er to appear so that she would as' him out while shes bein$ watched by her e&)boyfriends best friend whos supposed to be stoppin$ her but he chooses not to because he understands what shes $oin$ throu$h.; I turned my head to loo' at him% reali>in$ he had become too drun' to reali>e what he was ramblin$ about. :I must be really incoherent because I didnt $et that. What ma'es you thin' hes deformed-; :Not incoherent% 6ust incompetent%; he corrected me. :What ma'es me thin' hes deformed- 0ecause no $uy would hide themsel+es li'e that unless hes really u$ly.; :Well maybe you should start hidin$ your face because youre startin$ to loo' really u$ly to me.; :"oure 6ust drun'. "oure startin$ to hallucinate.; :And youre not-; :Are you two o'ay-; A males +oice as'ed. I spun around to see ten $uys standin$ there% carryin$ bats and other weapons in their hands. hey resembled those pun's that you find han$in$ around in alleyways when they $ot nothin$ better to do.

?im ae woo stood up and placed himself in front of me. :"es% were o'ay.; he leader of them% a $uy with a blond Mohaw'% smiled re+ealin$ his $old tooth. :Dont you thin' its a little too late for you two hi$h school 'ids to han$ out around here-; :And dont you thin' its a little too late to dress up for *alloween-; ae Woo <uestioned in return. hey way he said that% reminded me of the time =un$ ,an$ had confronted the other $uys. %1ake whatever you have to offer and shove it u$ your own ass before I do it for you.& I tapped his shoulder and leaned in to whisper. :I dont thin' you should $et smart with them.; :For a person whos about to $et his ass 'ic'ed% you+e $ot <uite a mouth on you.; *is $a>e shifted onto me. :Whos the chic'- ,hes hot.; :"oure lame%; ae Woo told him bluntly. : hat line was used in so many mo+ies before. 5ome up with a better line% blondie.; :*ow bout I say nothin$ at all and 6ust $et strai$ht to the ass 'ic'in$-; :*ow bout you 6ust shut the f8c' up and 6ust do it-3; ae Woo said% char$in$ towards them. *e didn(t $et +ery close when the leader was suddenly 'noc'ed forward from a surprise attac' from behind. he person who attac'ed him was wearin$ the same 6ac'et that I reco$ni>ed from before. It was the stran$er3 Lee Ji Won- ,our dream man has returned. *e was already fi$htin$ the other $uys when ae Woo 6oined him. It was 6ust li'e in the mo+ies% the fi$ht seemed almost choreo$raphed. In a matter of moments% they both had them all down. he stran$er was the first to spea'% after brushin$ the dirt from his 6ac'et. :When I as'ed you to watch o+er her% I didnt as' you to 6oin her with her stupidity.; #nly one person was capable of ma'in$ such a rude remar'. *e turned to me and threw his hood bac'. he $uy behind the hood was in fact 2ar' =un$ ,an$. *e loo'ed sli$htly different from how he used to loo' li'e. *e had $otten hotter. I bet he $ot his hair cut. *e was smir'in$ at this point. :,o what now- Are you $oin$ to as' me out-; Chp.,9- S"i#ey Face on PingPongBoy IE?e a#;ays ;on'ere'. Why do thin$s turn out a certain way when you least e&pect it to- Do thin$s happen for a reasonIs the $rass really $reen and the s'y really blue- 5an pi$s fly if you $i+e them win$s#'ay so that was random)))but you cant blame me. I+e had a little too much to drin'. he real <uestion is% do e&)boyfriends really come bac' and as's you <uestions li'e this one... %2o what now( /re you going to ask me out(& I couldnt seem to answer because it didnt process well. #nly because I felt the need to decipher it. ruly% there had to be a meanin$ behind that. !ets $et somethin$ strai$ht here. I didnt $o to the subway e&pectin$ to meet the stran$er a$ain. I went there% intendin$ to ta'e the train home and if the stran$er happens to show up% he could help me ditch the watchdog also 'nown as =un$ ,an$s best friend whose name is ae Woo. *owe+er% nothin$ of that sort happened% as you can already tell. he stran$er turns out to be my e&)boyfriend. o see him standin$ in front of me ma'es me thin' that the world is too damn crowded. It(s a small f8c'in$ world)))that(s what it is. E&cuse my bad lan$ua$e. Was I happy to see him- It was borderline yes and no. Apart of me wanted to lash out and rip that 6ac'et from him and accuse him for stealin$ the stran$ers 6ac'et e+en if he was the actual stran$er. he other part wanted to 6ust smile happily and throw my arms around him and then when he least e&pects it)))stran$le the life out of him.

Im sure youre all wonderin$ what my response to that <uestion was. ,ome say lau$hin$ was better than cryin$% so I lau$hed in his face 6ust to pro+e that I was unfa>ed by it all. :*ahahaha3 As' you out-; I pointed and then repeated% :As' you out-; *is brows creased to$ether% formin$ a frown on his face. :"oure lau$hin$ at me. I as'ed you a <uestion.; ?im ae Woo loo'ed at his friend and then turn to loo' at me% intendin$ to say somethin$ when I told him% :,hut up% ae Woo.; =un$ ,an$ too' a step forward. :5mon. Ill wal' you home.; My $osh. he ner+e of this $uy. *ow could he act li'e there was nothin$ wron$- It was ob+ious that somethin$ was wron$. *ello- *alf drun' here3 I stopped lau$hin$ to loo' at him% blin'in$ twice. :Wal' me home- Ahahahaha33; Another burst of lau$hter before I turned to ae Woo. : hat idiot wants to wal' me home3 As if I(m a do$3 Do you hear that ae Woo- Maybe he should be wal'in$ you home% since you(re his watchdo$. Ahahahaha3; ae Woo turned to his friend. :,he had a little to drin'% so shes a little tipsy.; And then he touched his temple% addin$% :And a little out of it.; :"eah% and so are you%; =un$ ,an$ pointed out. ae Woo blin'ed twice and $rinned sheepishly li'e a child who refuses to loo' $uilty. :I dont $et drun'.; :I didnt say you were drun'%; =un$ ,an$ countered in return. :"ou can $o now.; ae Woo hesitated. :"ou sure1youll be o'ay-; I folded my arms to$ether impatiently and sat bac' down on the bench. *owe+er% it wasnt the bench that I sat on. I missed entirely% only to end up fallin$ on my bum. ae Woo burst out lau$hin$ and some of the in6ured $uys 6oined him. I sent him a cold $lare and he stopped. =un$ ,an$ had already rushed to my aid. *e held out his hand to me. :*ere% let me help you.; I brushed his hand away and attempted to $et up% but the heels I had on caused me to slip a$ain. his time I felt his arm $o around my waist to pre+ent me from fallin$ all the way. I stared up at him% you 'now li'e in the mo+ies% fascinated by action and capti+ated by his handsomeness. My heart e+en s'ipped a beat. *ow lo+ely3 hat was sarcasm. :=i Won1; he said softly. *e had a way with his tone of +oice. I hated when he spo'e softly. :*uh-; :"ou ripped your s'irt.; ))) I sat across from him inside the train with his 6ac'et wrapped around my waist% feelin$ self)conscious about myself. here were only two other passen$ers with us. #ne was a drun' $uy who had passed out lord 'nows when. *is head was slumped forward% and he was droolin$ all o+er his shoes. he other was an elderly woman carryin$ a cane and wearin$ dar' shades to co+er her eyes. ,he 'ept mumblin$ cra>ily to herself. ,omethin$ about wantin$ people to lea+e her alone. he truth is% the frea's only come out at ni$ht.

2ar' =un$ ,an$ sat bac' a$ainst his seat with one le$ propped on the seat. *e was wearin$ a white muscle shirt that read 7I lo+e 2in$)pon$ and beneath the letters was a smiley face. *is dar' blue 6eans loo'ed a little ba$$y on him but they made him loo' cute. We were literally starin$ at each other. I wanted to see whether hed loo' away first% but =un$ ,an$ didnt e+en blin'. *e was $ood)))that smart ass. :"our shirt suc's3; I told him. :It ma'es you loo' li'e a retard3; *e blin'ed% flinched and wrin'led his nose. Woo *oo3 I did it. D*a ha% you flinched and blin'ed3D *e loo'ed to drooly beside him and said% D he bastard farted.D *e s<uee>ed his nose and mo+ed a seat o+er. DIt(s not him%D the old lady seated closer to him said. =un$ ,an$ slid bac' to drooly. I lau$hed at him. DDon(t lau$h%D he scolded. DIt(s the shirt%D I lied. :"ou wouldnt ha+e to loo' at it if you didnt steal my 6ac'et3; he retorted defensi+ely. :I didnt steal it. "ou too' it off for me3; *e made an irritated e&pression and then tu$$ed on his ear. :Aish3 Why are you yellin$-; :0ecause1; I lowered my tone. :0ecause I can barely hear myself spea'in$ anymore.; :"oure 6ust drun'%; he said. :No%; I said in denial. *e raised his hands% wa+in$ them bac' and forth slowly. :*ow many fin$ers am I holdin$ up-; : en3; :Wron$.; :,tupid ass. I 6ust saw you hold up ten fin$ers33; I ar$ued. :I held up ei$ht fin$ers and two thumbs.; 0efore I could open my mouth to ar$ue% he added% :,tupid ass.; : humbs are included3; :No% they arent.; I felt myself 6uttin$ out my chin% challen$in$ him. :*ow do you 'now% huh-; :"ou probably wouldnt 'now e+en if you were sober.; A$ain% before I could retort anythin$% he cut me off and said% :,tupid ass.; :Dumb ass3;

*e snorted and muttered% :Drun' 0arbie.; I bit on my lip% tryin$ to thin' of somethin$ $ood. : hat shirt ma'es you loo' $ay.; :What-; :"oure a sore $ay loser33; *e stood up abruptly% $esturin$ his hand for me to hand somethin$ o+er. :Fine% hand o+er my 6ac'et then.; I lau$hed% sensin$ his embarrassment. #h% this was interestin$. :No.; :Do you want me to ta'e it from you-; :"ou care% huh-; I teased. I $lanced away and he ti$htened his 6aw. :I dont%; he muttered. : hen why do you care what I say-; *e lowered his eyes and said <uietly. :Why wouldnt I care-; he amusement fell from my face. I loo'ed to my feet also. :What are we doin$% =un$ ,an$-; I already 'new the answer to that. I 6ust wanted to hear what he had to say about it. :I dont 'now%; I heard him answer me. I was afraid to loo' bac' at him. :Im sorry.; I pried my eyes away to loo' at him a$ain. *e came to sit beside me and rested his elbows on his thi$hs% leanin$ forward. :I didnt 'now what I was thin'in$ when we bro'e up. I really didn(t want to do it. he only thin$ that I was sure about was that it had to end for the sa'e of Na)Na. I had to ma'e it belie+able for Na)Na thats why I didnt tell you.; I could feel the bile risin$ from my throat at the thou$ht of Na)Na. I missed e+erythin$ about her. :*ow is she-; :,he left unhappy.; I felt an$ry on behalf of the 'id. :What ma'es you thin' brea'in$ up with me will $et her to lea+e-; :,he said she wouldnt lea+e so lon$ as we were to$ether. ,he says she li'es you too much. And that youre the coolest babysitter she e+er had. ,he threatened to runaway if we force her to return to her family. I 'new that if I told you to act alon$ with me% you wouldnt be able to do it. "ou wouldnt be able to lie to her% so I did my part and spare you from ha+in$ to lie to her and feel $uilty about it after she left. "ou arent stron$ enou$h% =i Won.; I turned to him. :And you thin' you are-3; *e swallowed before he answered% :Bnli'e you% Im used to the $uilt.; I loo'ed away when I said% :I bet you didnt e+en shed a tear when she left.; :"oure wron$%; he said% rubbin$ at his face. : he hardest thin$ was watchin$ her lea+e. It hurts.; 2erhaps I+e mis6ud$ed =un$ ,an$. If he was capable of hurtin$% he was also capable of cryin$. ,omehow the words he said to me the other ni$ht when I was drun' came into play. %I agree. I bet he likes you a whole lot. I bet he s hurting more than you are right now. I bet he even broke down and cried after you left him.&

he e&pression on my face softened as I allowed my hand to rest upon his shoulder. :Im sorry.; *e sat up strai$ht and $lanced at me. :What is there to be sorry for- "ou+e done nothin$ wron$. "ou ha+e e+ery ri$ht to $et emotional. Admit it% you ha+e the stupidest boyfriend.; :E&)boyfriend%; I corrected him. :And hes not really stupid. =ust unpredictable.; *e turned and smiled. :4i$ht. Not entirely stupid.; I returned the smile. *e 6ust stared% as if he was searchin$ for somethin$. hen he slowly brou$ht his hand to rest a$ainst the side of my chee'. :I didnt lea+e the country. I was here alon$. I was hidin$. I didn(t 'now how to face you. I 6ust left the school.; :Why-; *is hand slipped away. : ransferrin$ a$ain. o a pri+ate school. All boys school. My parents thin' that Id focused more on my studies rather than my $irlfriend.; 9reat. Now I was really not loo'in$ forward to $oin$ to school without =un$ ,an$. More or less% it was probably for the best. We were both silently contemplatin$ on what was on our mind at the moment. =un$ ,an$ was the first to spea' a$ain. :About the brea'up promise. I thin' its time to end it.; I loo'ed at him pu>>lin$ly. :What do you mean-; *e stretched his arms in the air and placed his ri$ht arm on the bac' of my seat. :!ets 6ust say Im sic' of watchin$ those bastards hit on you. Its time I ta'e my $irlfriend bac'.; :What-; *e acted li'e it was o'ay to say it. :It wasnt an official brea'up. hat(s what the brea'up promise is for. ,o yeah% lets $et bac' to$ether. "ou 'ept the promise and so did I. !ets $et bac' to$ether.; :What- =ust li'e that-; *e shifted in his seat% facin$ me fully. :!oo'% you mi$ht thin' me as your e&)boyfriend% but I+e always 'ept you as my $irlfriend e+en after our brea'up. It didn(t chan$e.; *ow was I to react to that- All I 'now was that it wasnt $oin$ to be that easy. I mean cmon% all that time I was drin'in$ out of depression and ha+in$ sleepless ni$hts was because of =un$ ,an$ and nobody else. It wasnt $oin$ to be that simple nor will it be the same a$ain. ,o I said to him% :Earn it first.; :What-; :Earn it.; :0y doin$ what-; :0e my sla+e.; :What do you mean-; :Do whate+er I say.; :"ou want control o+er me-;

:"es.; :For how lon$-; :Bntil I thin' the time is ri$ht.; *e frowned. :"oure not $onna ma'e me do somethin$ stupid% are you-; I smiled. : hats for me to say.; :Fine.; I tu$$ed on my ear. :What was that-; *e repeated it louder this time. :Fine.; I cleared my throat. :Im sorry% fine for what-; *e bit hard on his lip and then blurted% :Fine% Ill be your sla+e33; he lady $ot up and shouted. D he sla+es3 he sla+es are here33D We both 6ust loo'ed at her. ,he loo'ed around and <uieted down a$ain. I reached out to pat his head. :9ood boy.; *e swiped my hand aside. DI(m not a do$.D D0ut you are my sla+e.D I stretched my shoulders and said% :"ou 'now what. I really dont feel li'e $oin$ home yet. I feel li'e sin$in$ and dancin$33; ))) ,till wearin$ =un$ ,an$s 6ac'et around my waist% I danced around him inside the club and $i$$led happily to myself while he stood watchin$% refusin$ to 6oin in. I $rabbed his arm and shouted% :5mon% dance for me% =un$ ,an$3; A hint of a smile showed on his face. :I cant.; *e loo'ed so cute when he said that. I co+ered my mouth% pretendin$ to be surprise. :What- "ou cant dance-; *e shoo' his head. :I cant.; I leaned in and whispered into his ear. :Fine% Ill 6ust $o find another $uy who does.; As I was wal'in$ away% I felt his $rip loc'in$ around my arm% pullin$ me bac' to him. :Ill dance.D D"ou will-D *e bobbed his head. DWait here. I(ll be bac'.; #ff he went% disappearin$ throu$h the crowd li'e some bra+e artist who was about to put on a show. he music that was currently playin$ suddenly stopped and chan$ed into a slow ballad. ,uddenly reappearin$% he bowed and held out his hand. :*a+e this dance with me.; I willin$ly obli$ed and let him lead me first. *e placed both his hands on the side of my waist as I settled my own hands on

his shoulders. :I prefer to slow dance%; he leaned in to say. I had nothin$ to say to that. *onestly% I didnt because I was smilin$ li'e an idiot. *is hand $lided across my bac' and rested there. When we started to mo+e% he said% : ell me somethin$% =i Won. Did you miss me-; I $a>ed up at him% findin$ myself $rowin$ lost in his eyes. :"es.; :Did you dream of me-; :Why are you as'in$ me these weird <uestions-; :0ecause its our moment.; :#ur moment for what-; : o be romantic.; I nearly burst out lau$hin$. his was what =un$ ,an$ found to be romantic- :Inside a club- With all these people around us-; I as'ed. :5an we lea+e then-; :Why- I say when we lea+e. "ou(re for$ettin$ your place% =un$ ,an$.; :0ecause I want to lea+e.; :"ah3 Whos the master here-; :"ou are.; :9ood.; *e was <uiet for a moment before he started a$ain. :I want to lea+e.; :What- Whats wron$ with you-; *e lowered his eyes and said% : he lon$er I stare at you% the more1I want to 'iss you.; *e beha+ed li'e a child who was in need for some affection. A really cute one. I forced my smile bac'. : hen dont loo' at me.; :"oull $et mad at me for not loo'in$ at you because youll thin' that Im loo'in$ at other $irls.; :What- Who told you that-; DI 6ust 'now.D :I dont care. I want us to end this dance first.; :"ou dont care if I loo' at other $irls-; :No%; I lied. In fact I did care. I was more bothered by the fact that he was destroyin$ the romantic moment that he claimed we ha+e. :0ut I care.; I finally pulled away from him% $rowin$ frustrated. :Why-; :0ecause if Im not loo'in$ at you% youll loo' at other $uys.;

:B$h33; ))) I end up dra$$in$ him out of the club. :"oure actin$ li'e a child.; *e smiled sheepishly. :No% Im beha+in$ li'e a sla+e.; *e loo'ed at my $rip around his wrist. :As you can see% youre the boss.; I released him. :"oure a bad sla+e.; :Why-; :0ecause you whine too much.; : hen un)sla+e me.; :No.; :I $uess Im still a bad sla+e then.; :I could stran$le you.; *e tried to hide the amusement on his face as he turned away. :Alri$ht. Ill beha+e.; What about the kiss) you stu$id ass- I wanted to shout out. As if readin$ my mind% he turned bac' and as'ed% :5an I 'iss you now-; :Why should you as' me-; *e bowed. :0ecause I need my masters permission first.; :"our master $rants you the ri$ht to 'iss.; *e too' a step closer. I <uic'ly lowered my $a>e% feelin$ my tummy doin$ flip flops and my chee's heatin$ up. hunder started to roar o+er us% forcin$ me to 6ump into his arms. =un$ ,an$ held me close. ,eriously% it felt $ood bein$ in the comfort of his arms a$ain. :!oo's li'e its $onna rain. We should $et home.; #ut what about the kiss(:We should%; I a$reed reluctantly. : a'e off my 6ac'et first%; he ordered. I didnt as' him what he was $oin$ to do with it. I remo+ed the 6ac'et from my waist% ha+in$ to see the tear in my shirt that had ripped up to mid)thi$h% e&posin$ my le$. *e too' it from me and placed it around my shoulder. : here% itll 'eep you warm this way. Who cares about that tear in the s'irt. !ets hurry.; We started to wal' when the rain came showerin$ down on us. =un$ ,an$ was holdin$ my hand and rushin$ ahead of me when he stopped suddenly and turned around with a smir' on his face. :#n second thou$ht. !ets not rush home.;

:*uh-; *e came closer to me and said% :I+e always wanted to do somethin$.; :What is that-; : his%; he said% before leanin$ in and 'issin$ me full on the mouth. My hand $lided to his bac' as I ea$erly return the 'iss. here you ha+e it fol's% a 'iss in the rain with 2ar' =un$ ,an$. And it was the best 'iss I e+er had. Chp. ,>- S!an'ing .p $Why canE! I $et the penholder paddle-; I as'ed% feelin$ li'e I+e been cheated while I watched all the other female players holdin$ onto their own penholder paddles. #n my day off% I spent most of the afternoon ha+in$ to put up with =un$ ,an$s scoldin$ and teachin$s on 2in$ 2on$. E+erythin$ I do was wron$ accordin$ to him. At first% I was o'ay with his coachin$ and that I neednt ar$ue bac' when he tells me thin$s% but it comes to a point where I felt I didnt ha+e to put up with it anymore of his yellin$ due to the fact that I was still his master. I couldnt allow him to push me around li'e I was the sla+e. "es% thats ri$ht. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was still my b8tch. !ets rewind bac'ward. =ust because he 'issed me in the rain% doesnt mean I ha+e for$i+en him and stopped ma'in$ him my sla+e. hat 'iss in the rain was sort of1spontaneous. "ou really dont want to 'now what happened after that 'iss. 0ut Ill tell you anyway because its <uite amusin$.. 5e A 1hat wasBthat wasB. .im A +ice( 5eCblushingD A ,es. .imCteasinglyD A Want to try that again( 5eCe<citedD A ,es.imCleaning inD A Let s try that agaE hat was the end of it because my le$ had twitched and I accidentally 'need =un$ ,an$ in his nutty. *e had refused to see me for three days because he was an$ry and embarrassed that he couldnt wal' strai$ht. #n the fourth day% when I +isited him% he said to me... &,ah) Lee Ji Won. I m never going to kiss you if you get that e<cited-& And I responded% &,ah) "ark Jung 2ang. ,ou were not only cri$$led once but now you re cri$$led twice-& hat really $ot him fired up. &?et out of my house-& %I will go whenever I feel like it. 'emember) I m the master here. *e stood across the table% holdin$ onto his penholder paddle as if he was the only one who was capable of holdin$ onto it. "ou mi$ht wonder why they call it a penholder paddle. It(s all in the way you hold it. =un$ ,an$ says that you ha+e to hold it li'e you hold a pen. I didnt li'e how he was rubbin$ in my face. 4eali>in$ that I was starin$ at his paddle% he lifted it in front of him and said% :#nly special people are allowed to use this paddle.; :And if I brea' it% it wouldnt ma'e you that special% would it now-; *e smiled sheepishly% unaffected by my remar'. :9o ahead and try. Ill 6ust $et another one.;

I slammed my own paddle down and shouted% :"ah3 Im the master here. And I say that Im $oin$ to use the penholder paddle. :"ou dont e+en 'now how to hold a normal paddle and you want the penholder- "oure bein$ stupid% =i Won%; he said% sha'in$ his head disbelie+in$ly. *e was ri$ht. I 6ust li'ed the appearance of the penholder. he handle was shorter than the sha'ehand paddle% but apparently% its supposed to help with the spins. oo be honest% I 'new nothin$ about puttin$ the spins on the ball usin$ the paddle. It 6ust sounded cool. he way I loo' at it% its li'e wantin$ to own nice car without ha+in$ to 'now anythin$ about it. *owe+er% when it comes down to it% I 'new =un$ ,an$ was testin$ me a$ain. *e wanted to see me burst. !uc'y for him% it was wor'in$. I pic'ed up my paddle and threw it at him. *e easily sidestepped it and smiled +ictoriously. he unluc'y person standin$ behind him was the one who $ot struc' in the bac' of the head. o be more specific% that person was a $irl. ,he rubbed at the bac' of her head and spun around with a +enomous $lare in my direction. :Did you 6ust toss that rac'et at me-; I co+ered my mouth and lowered my head in apolo$y. :Im sorry% I meant to aim for%; I loo'ed up at =un$ ,an$% :him. 0ut I $uess I missed entirely.; he $irl $a+e =un$ ,an$ a sidelon$ $lance as if she was chec'in$ him out% and $rowin$ flustered at the si$ht of him% she retorted% :Who told you to throw thin$s around in this place- What if it 'noc's me unconscious-3; #ut it didn t*er +oice suddenly $rew louder as she too' a step closer. :*uh-3 Answer me3; It would shut you u$) that s for sure. I wanted to reply. I found myself ta'in$ a step bac'ward. I 'new I was in trouble the moment she came around to confront me. I loo'ed at =un$ ,an$ for help% but he 6ust stood there watchin$ as if he was en6oyin$ it. I could see the hint of amusement in his eyes. hat selfish bastard. he $irl $rabbed at the collar of my polo shirt be$an to shout in my face. :"A*3 "ou b8tch. Dont loo' at me li'e that3; Im not $ood with confrontations. Apart of me wanted to rip her face off% but I was more afraid of what was $oin$ to happen once I do try. I cleared my throat and said calmly% :No need to o+erreact. I apolo$i>ed% didnt I-; :"ou want to apolo$i>e- 9et down on all fours and lic' the tip of my shoe% b8tch3; she yelled. I sho+ed her away from me. 4eally% she was startin$ to $et irritatin$. 5ome to thin' of it% the b8tch deser+es the rac'et to her head. :Why would I need to do that-; ,he sho+ed me bac'. :0ecause I said so.; :I am waitin$% =i Won%; I heard =un$ ,an$ tell me. I dont 'now what he was tal'in$ about. Waitin$ for what- he bastard couldnt e+en help his own $irlfriend. I brou$ht my attention bac' to the $irl and said in a calmer +oice than before. :!ets not fi$ht. I dont li'e fi$htin$. As you can see% my boyfriend is waitin$ for me.; :I dont care. *e has nothin$ to do with this. oday% hes $onna watch his $irlfriend $et her ass 'ic'ed.;

Normally% I would not say anythin$. More or less do anythin$% but I found myself sho+in$ her down hard and yellin$ as if some beast had ta'en control of me. :"A*3 I D#N *A@E IME # DEA! WI * 2E#2!E !I?E "#B33; :=i Won-; I turned to =un$ ,an$. :W*)))D I was cut off by the 'ic' to my stomach. ,tumblin$ bac'% I saw her $ettin$ up and was in the process of swin$in$ her fist at me. 0efore she could ele+ate that% =un$ ,an$ had already inter+ened% placin$ himself in front of me li'e a shield. I 'ept a hand on my tummy% thin'in$ I could ma'e the pain $o away while $lowerin$ at his bac' in shoc'. 1hat b*tch *ust kicked me in the tummyhe $irl stopped to loo' at him. :9et out of my way% you fool.; :Im a $uy% youre callin$ me a fool for $ettin$ in your way- Arent you afraid I mi$ht pic' you up and toss you o+er my head-; *er lips trembled with ner+ousness. ,he had no reply to that. I raised my brow at her% thin'in$ that she was $oin$ to bac' down but instead she too' another challen$in$ step forward. :Ill tell my oppa to 'ic' your ass3; :0y the time you tell him% Id ha+e his ass 'ic'ed already%; =un$ ,an$ boasted. Now thats the 2in$2on$0oy I 'now. he one with the stran$est remar's and comebac's. *e folded his arms in front of him as if he was in char$e. :"ou 6ust struc' my $irlfriend. I thin' that youre e+en now.; :2ar' =un$ ,an$3 "ou were $oin$ to let her hit me- *ow dare you do that to me you bastard3; I yelled% still cradlin$ my stomach. he $irl and the two others behind her e&chan$ed ner+ous $lances. he $irl turned bac' to re$ard =un$ ,an$ formally by bowin$ her head and addressin$ him as oppa. :=un$ ,an$ oppa. Its nice to finally meet you.; Why the sudden chan$e of mood- Was it was because of =un$ ,an$s reputation,he loo'ed to me and lowered her head a$ain. :Im sorry for 'ic'in$ you. I didnt 'now that you were with 2ar' =un$ ,an$.; With those last words% she <uic'ly $athered her e<uipment and fled the $ym. =un$ ,an$ strode o+er and loo'ed to where my hand was. :Ne&t time you 'now not to act irrationally. "ou see what happens-; I punched him on the chest. :"ou wanted to see her hit me% you idiot3; :No. I 6ust thin' it was fair. "ou $ot her in the head and she struc' you bac' in the stomach. hats fair to me.; :,he was the one o+erreactin$3; I ar$ued% followin$ him as he be$an to $ather the e<uipment to place them into his $ym ba$. :"ou were the one o+erreactin$ before she did% remember- hat rac'et was meant for my head%; he pointed out. *e made a $ood point. I hated that he was ri$ht. =un$ ,an$ was soundin$ more reasonable than I was. ,omethin$ was wron$ here. :"oure ma'in$ me the bad one here.; *e stood up and placed the ba$ o+er his shoulder. :!ets 6ust $o. Were done for the day.; I crossed my arms and planted my feet on the floor stubbornly. :Were not $oin$ anywhere until I tell you we do.; :Whate+er you say% master%; =un$ ,an$ said% droppin$ the ba$ defeat and seatin$ himself comfortably on the floor. :What would you ha+e me do% master-; he as'ed in a tone that hinted a si$n of an$er. I bet he was $rindin$ his teeth. *e was an$ry with me for o+erreactin$. 5y gosh) Ji Won) have you turned into some kind

of beast( Whatever ha$$ened to your morals( Don t tell me you gave them all to Jung 2ang(I plopped down beside him. :Why did you tell me that you were waitin$% =un$ ,an$-; *e $lanced at me and said% :"ou didnt $et it% did you-; I said nothin$. *e tss'ed at me before he said% :,ee% I told you youre slow.; :Alri$ht% I admit. Im a bit slow% but Im not that slow.; :I waited for you to tell me that you needed my help. "ou said nothin$.; :Why wait-; :0ecause Im your sla+e remember% not your boyfriend. I do whate+er you tell me to.; *e made another $ood point. If he was tryin$ to ma'e me feel $uilty about ma'in$ him my sla+e% it sure as hell was wor'in$. :If you were my boyfriend a$ain% you would probably stop those $irls before they could lay a hand on me% wouldnt you-; *e nodded and then added% :And if I was your boyfriend a$ain% I would ha+e probably $i+en you that penholder paddle without a second thou$ht.; I smiled% leanin$ in to rest my head on his shoulder. :If you were my boyfriend a$ain% you probably would ha+e been nicer to me while you were coachin$ me.; *e nodded and then said% :And if I was your boyfriend a$ain% I would probably 'iss you ri$ht now despite...the in6ury.; I lowered my head to hide my blushin$ and my smile. Ai$oo3 =i Won% calm that flutterin$ heart down before it escapes you3 *e placed a hand o+er mine. :"ou did $ood today. Im <uite impressed.; I loo'ed at him% half)bemused. :*ow did I do $ood- I $ot >ero on my score.; *e rubbed my head playfully while chuc'lin$. :No dummy% Im tal'in$ about how you stood up to that $irl.; :#h.; :"eah. I ne+er 'new you had it in you. I thou$ht youd be more fearful of bruisin$ that pitiful face of yours.; 0efore I could ar$ue wit him% =un$ ,an$s phone started to rin$. *e reached into his pant poc'et and brou$ht out his phone and then answered it. :*ello-; :=un$ie oppa3 Where are you- I thou$ht youd be here by now-3; he +oice came from ,hin *ye Min. I always wondered why she was so damn loud when she was on the phone. =un$ ,an$ reali>ed how loud she was and pulled the phone away from his ear. I tapped on his shoulder and mouthed out silently% tellin$ him that Ill ta'e care of it. *e a$reed by inclinin$ his head. I spo'e in my sweetest tone and as loud as I could. :Bhhmmm oppa3 !oo' at my bac'. Its all bruised up. "ou play way too rou$h. 5ould you chec' to see1to see how bruised it is-; I <uic'ly turned my head away to muffle my $i$$le. :"A*3 =I W#N3 W*A *E *E!! A4E "#B D#IN9 # =BN9IE #22A-33;

:#ppa- Is that ,hin *ye Min- ell her that she needs to stop usin$ the phone to contact you because her +oice is loud enou$h to wa'e up the entire city.;

=un$ ,an$ burst into an immediate cac'le. I <uic'ly $rabbed the phone from him and hun$ up to end *ye Mins curses. 9osh% that felt +ery $ood. ))) 2ar' =un$ ,an$ 'nows nothin$ of sweetness because he has ne+er tasted sweetness. hats why he $rew up bein$ so bitter. ,adly% he ne+er tried ice cream e+en after all those times he had spent with Na)Na inside the ice cream parlor. After that call from *ye Min% I had dra$$ed him to the ice cream parlor because I wanted him to $et a taste of my 'ind of sweetness. I stuffed the spoonful of ice cream into =un$ ,an$s mouth. :Why are you actin$ li'e such a baby- Do you li'e it-; *e spat it out dis$ustin$ly. :5old and sweet.; I smac'ed him on the head. :"ah3 What 'ind of sla+e are you-3 Why did you spit it bac' out-3; *e rubbed slowly at his head and I could see a pout comin$ on. he e&pression on his face was priceless. *e loo'ed li'e a 'id who is bein$ forced to finish his +e$etables. :"ou 6ust struc' me.; :Eat your sundae then.; *e slowly lifted his spoon and 6abbed at the ice cream as if he wanted to destroy it. I $lowered at him and he stopped immediately. I loo'ed at the ice cream that had dissol+ed into somethin$ indescribable. :Eat it properly and en6oy it.; :#'ay% master.; *esitantly% he scooped another spoonful and placed it into his mouth. :!et it melt on your ton$ue before you swallow.; *e complied and then smiled at me. :*ow does it taste now-; :Its still $ross.; 4i$ht then I 'new my answer. =un$ ,an$ could ne+er be sweet li'e ice cream. ,uc's to be me. ))) When I $ot home% I found =in *yun$ inside my room% playin$ on the computer. I approached him from behind and slapped the bac' of his head. :"ah3 Who told you to come in here-; *e <uic'ly shut off the monitor and turned around% smilin$ innocently. :*i noona. I was 6ust seein$ if the internet was wor'in$ because it wasnt wor'in$ in my room.; :"ou probably put some +iruses in my computer% you mid$et3;

*e held out his hands in a surrenderin$ $esture. :No. It wasnt li'e that.; *e stood up fully and e&haled e&asperatin$ly. :I ha+e somethin$ to tell you.; I watched as he went o+er by my bed and pic'ed up my cell phone. : his is your phone% ri$ht-; I $rabbed it from him. :*ow did you $et it- Where did you find it-; : he $randmother $a+e it to me.; :What- #ur $randmother is dead.; :No% I meant Na)Na.; Na)Na- I could feel my heart speedin$ faster than normal. :When-; :0efore she left. ,he came to our house and told me to $i+e it to you. ,he said she left a +oice messa$e on it too.; Na)Na had returned my phone and left me a messa$e- I 'new that it would be heartbrea'in$ to hear her +oice a$ain. :And why did I $et this now- After almost a month-; =in *yun$ loo'ed elsewhere% tryin$ to come up with a plausible e&cuse. :0ecause1because1; :0ecause you were usin$ it3; I accused him% raisin$ my hand up hi$h. *e flinched and bac'ed a step. :Im sorry. I 6ust wanted to see))): I slapped his arm. :Ne&t time you do somethin$ li'e this% Ill twist your head ri$ht off3 Now $et out of my room3; =in *yun fled li'e a scared puppy% slammin$ the door behind him. I heard him wailin$ li'e a baby as he stomped loudly into his room. I went o+er to sit down on the bed and chec'ed my +oice messa$e. a'in$ a deep breath% I pressed the phone to my ear and listened. :*i% =i Won. I thin' youll recei+e this messa$e a little late because of =in *yun$. I didnt 'now whom else to depend on so he was my only choice. o be honest% I didnt want to return your phone. I wanted to 'eep it for a 'eepsa'e% so that I could remember you. Im $oin$ to miss you a whole lot when I lea+e.; here was a silent pause and I could hear the snifflin$. :I dont want to lea+e you and =un$ ,an$. I heard e+erythin$ that day. =un$ ,an$ was 6ust scared. I dont thin' he meant to brea' up with you. *es afraid of a lot of thin$s =i Won. And did you 'now that hes afraid of $hosts- *e was haunted by his $randmother one ni$ht. hey ne+er really $otten alon$ when she was ali+e. *e said that he wo'e up one ni$ht and saw her standin$ at the endin$ of his bed% tellin$ him that he needed a haircut. he funny thin$ is that she was always tellin$ him that when she was ali+e%Dshe said followed by a $i$$le. I smiled% feelin$ the tears rollin$ down my eyes. :Its hard to belie+e but he said that hes tellin$ the truth.; here was another silent pause before she started a$ain. :*e would probably 'ill me for sayin$ this but he was cryin$ that day. It was the first time I e+er seen him cry. 9i+e him a second chance. *e deser+es it. *e li'es you more than I li'e you and I li'e you more than I li'e anybody else besides my deceased parents. It was fun while our time lasted. Im $lad I found someone to en6oy ice cream with. When I lea+e the country% I dont thin' Ill e+er eat any more ice cream because it wouldnt be the same. And plus% its unhealthy to eat ice cream so often. Anyway% Ill $et strai$ht to the point. Im not an$ry with you for a$reein$ to the brea'up. "ou didnt really ha+e a choice. I dont thin' I could e+er be an$ry with you or =un$ ,an$. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ has done so many thin$s for me. *es the best uncle I e+er had. And youre the best babysitter I e+er had. I lo+e you% =i Won. I dont 'now when well see each other a$ain. 9oodbye.; I was sobbin$ at this point and my heart ached for Na)Na. I wanted to tell her so many thin$s that I didnt ha+e a chance of sayin$ to her. I wanted to tell her the truth% but I reali>ed that it would be pointless. 0ecause the truth is% we did brea' up. Chp./0- MCo##i'eM IE?e 7a##en .n'er a state of depression.

#'ay% so Im e&a$$eratin$ a little% but bein$ depressed does no $ood to your health. =ust yesterday% I was listenin$ to Na) Nas +oice and came to some sort of reali>ation that perhaps it was time to let $o. I mean)))this was what I wanted. I wanted a story for myself. I wanted to ma'e my life a little more e&citin$ and I e&pected some 'ind of happy endin$. Ne+ertheless% I ha+e no idea where this was all leadin$. ,ic' and e&hausted in my bed% I had called up =un$ ,an$% informin$ him that we needed to tal'. I had no idea what we were $oin$ to discuss% but I fi$ured that we call Na)Na up and confess the truth to her. :Ill be there. *ow are you feelin$-; :Not $ood. *ow soon will you be here-; :,ooner than you thin'.; :#'ay.; :Wait a moment)))dont han$ up3 Whats your fa+orite color-; :2in'.; :I thou$ht so.; :Why-; :=ust as'in$.; :"oure bein$ weird% =un$ ,an$.; :Am I-; When I wanted to han$ up% he shouted a$ain. :"ah3 !ee =i Won. Dont han$ up on me yet3; I was rollin$ my eyes at this point. :What is it this time-; : oday youll un)sla+e me% =i Won.; I smiled. :*ow can you be so sure-; :I ha+e a $ood feelin$ about this.; An hour passed by% but there was no =un$ ,an$. ))) It was ?im ae Woo who showed up first and I hadnt e+en called him. he truth was% I was happy that someone showed up. he more I spend time alone% the more depressed I $ot. Why- 0ecause no one li'es to be alone on their birthday. ae Woo placed somethin$ down on the table ne&t to my bed. :I brou$ht you seaweed soup.; :,eaweed soup-; :Its your birthday. "ou should be eatin$ seaweed soup.; *e went to pull up a chair% placin$ it close to my bed. *e was still in his school uniform. *e was loo'in$ much happier than I last seen him. :*ow are you feelin$-; he as'ed before sittin$ down. :,ad%; I answered% loo'in$ down at my hands. :What ma'es you sad-;

I still refuse to loo' up at him. :E+erythin$ about my life.; :What ma'es your life so sad-; ae Woo always as'ed stran$e <uestions. :Are you some 'ind of therapist-; I as'ed sarcastically. *e smiled. :I can be. Do you want me to be-; :No.; : hen what am I to you% =i Won-; :A friend.; *e repeated after me% as if he wasnt sure he heard me ri$ht. :A friend.; :"ou should be $lad% we were ne+er friends to be$in with.; I thou$ht about the time at the subway station and when we were inside the bar to$ether. ?im ae Woo had been there both times. :I wanna than' you for bein$ there for me.; :"ou dont ha+e to than' me if were friends.; I said nothin$. :And =un$ ,an$% what is he to you-; I rubbed at my face and then answered% :I dont 'now.; 2lave- .e s your slave) Ji Won- +ot your boyfriend anymoreae Woo slid his chair closer and leaned forward. :Whats really $oin$ on between you two-; I loo'ed at him li'e I was a lost child bein$ interro$ated by some stran$er. :What-; :"ou two bac' to$ether-; :No.; :0ut you han$ out to$ether-; We hun$ out because I was still uncertain of my relationship with =un$ ,an$. :I 6ust want)))I want to see whether the connection is still there.; :"ou dont 'now what you want% =i Won-; My head started to spin. I touched my temple and said% :I dont need to answer that.; :2ar' =un$ ,an$ doesnt see it that way. o him% youre still his $irlfriend. *e told me that himself.; My eyes widened. :*e told you that-; ae Woo nodded wistfully. "ark Jung 2ang you always makes things harder on me,pea'in$ of 2ar' =un$ ,an$. :Where is he- Its been an hour since I last heard his +oice. And its not li'e him to be this late.; ae Woo loo'ed at his watch. I couldnt a+oid that hea+y feelin$ that had settled on the pit of my stomach.

:Ill call him%; ae Woo said% reachin$ for his phone and when he did% it started to rin$. *e loo'ed at the number before loo'in$ at me. :Its =un$ ,an$.; hat $ot me curious. Why was =un$ ,an$ callin$ ae Woo when he should be on his way:*ello-; ae Woo answered. I watched as ae Woos face fell. *e said yes before he hun$ up to fi& his attention onto me a$ain. :0ad news.; I braced myself for the bad news. I could sense the ner+ousness risin$ within me. :What is it-; : hat was *ye Min. =un$ ,an$ has been hospitali>ed. *es $oin$ throu$h sur$ery.; :What for-; :*e $ot 6umped by fifty $uys.; ))) *ye Min cried endlessly as she tried to e&plain the situation to ae Woo and myself. :*e came out of the ba'ery% holdin$ onto your ca'e when they all approached him and surrounded him. *e as'ed if he could ta'e them on another day because today was your birthday.; *ye Min buried her face deeper into ae Woos shoulder. :It all happened so fast. I)I)I was there because I followed him and I watched it happened. And now% now we dont 'now when =un$ ,an$ will wa'e up a$ain.; I pictured =un$ ,an$ bein$ 'noc'ed down% ha+in$ the ca'e to slip out of his hands. I pictured him fi$htin$ bac' with all he $ot% but in the end he e+entually lost. E+en the best fall down sometimes. My le$s felt li'e water and I could feel them $i+in$ up on me. I collapse to the floor and cried. I felt hands liftin$ me up to stand. "oon ae had showed up une&pectedly beside me. *e drew me into his embrace% restin$ his chin on the top of my head. :Its o'ay% =i Won. *ell wa'e up.; I buried my face in his shoulder and wrapped my arms around him% see'in$ comfort. : his is real% ri$ht- his time we dont 'now for sure when hell wa'e up.; "oon ae had no response to that. ))) *is +oice still echoed in my ears as I sat ne&t to him% holdin$ onto his cold hands and starin$ at his bruised face. *is lip had been busted. here was bruisin$ around his chee'bone area and a small stitch 6ust below his left brow. *e suffered from three bro'en ribs and +iolent blow to the bac' of his head. he doctor couldnt determine whether or not =un$ ,an$ was $oin$ to suffer from memory loss the moment he wa'es up. %I ll be there. .ow are you feeling(& %+ot good. .ow soon will you be here(& %2ooner than you think.& %3kay.& %Wait a moment!!!don t hang u$- What s your favorite color(& %"ink.&

%I thought so.& %Why(& %Just asking.& %,ou re being weird) Jung 2ang.& %/m I(& I found out why he had as'ed me that. It was the color of the ca'e that he had $otten me. 1oday you ll un!slave me) Ji Won.& %.ow can you be so sure(& %I have a good feeling about this.& As I was wipin$ my tears% I heard the door open. I craned my head 6ust enou$h to see *ye Min slippin$ in <uietly. ,he lowered her head in ac'nowled$ement before approachin$ me slowly. When she reached me% she loo'ed at =un$ ,an$ and said% :*e sleeps li'e an an$el% doesnt he-; ,he saw him in the same li$ht as I did. For the past wee'% ,hin *ye Min has been slowly openin$ up to me. We formed some 'ind of bond despite our past <uarrelin$. It was all because of 2ar' =un$ ,an$. ,he pulled up a chair to sit ne&t to me. :I heard from ?im ae Woo that the fifty $uys who had fou$ht him were also in6ured)))and some were e+en in worst condition than =un$ ,an$ is.; My 6aws dropped incredulously as I turned to loo' at *ye Min. :All fifty of them-; ,he nodded. :"es%; she paused% fid$etin$ with her fin$ers before continuin$% :*es always been a fi$hter. *e wont $i+e up until his body fails him first.; ,he lifted her hand to wipe away her tears. :*ell wa'e up soon.; I placed my hand on her shoulder and $a+e her a reassurin$ s<uee>e. :*es $oin$ to be o'ay.; We both turned to stare at =un$ ,an$ without sayin$ anythin$ more to each other. 0;o ;ee)s #a!erL :"ah3 !ee =i Won. =ust what in the hell do you thin' youre doin$% holdin$ onto my oppas hand-; ?im ,oo =in blurted. I <uic'ly released !ee =i *oons hand and pried my eyes away from him% turnin$ away to hide my flushin$. ,oo =in approached us and loo'ed from me to her boyfriend. :What is $oin$ on- I turn my bac' for one second and youre hittin$ on my best friend- Whats wron$ with you% oppa-; =i *oon smiled while holdin$ up his hands in a surrenderin$ $esture. :It wasnt what it loo'ed li'e. I was 6ust))): I interrupted him before he could finish. urnin$ to face ,oo =in% I said% :"eah. hats ri$ht% ,oo =in. We were flirtin$ behind your bac'3; ,oo =ins eyes bla>ed with fire. :"ou stupid b8tch3; she yelled. I lau$hed in her face and lifted the script in my hand to slap smac' the top of her head. :"ou suc'% ,oo =in. hat was a really slow reaction. It doesnt ta'e a person that lon$ to $et an$ry.; ,oo =in pouted. :0ut% but))): =i *oon crossed his arms and a$reed. :=i Won is ri$ht. hat was slow.;

We were standin$ under a tree in a par' for the past ten minutes% $oin$ o+er a script for drama class. ,oo =in played the anta$onist and I was the prota$onist. !ee =i *oon was 6ust helpin$ out and because ,oo =in demanded that of him. ,oo =in shot him a loo'. :!i'e youre any better% Mr. E&pressionless. All you do is stand there and loo' pretty. hats natural for you.; ,he flipped throu$h the script and said% :!ets $o strai$ht to the ne&t scene then.; I flipped o+er the pa$e to find that the ne&t scene was when the main $uy 'issed the main $irl. =i *oon smiled sheepishly when he loo'ed it o+er. I returned the smile to piss off ,oo =in. ,oo =in shot him another +enomous $lare. :Im hun$ry. !ets end this for today.; =i *oon ar$ued. :0ut we 6ust $ot started- What do you mean youre hun$ry- I thou$ht youre on a diet-; ,oo =in stomped her feet li'e a whinin$ child. :0ut Im hun$ry3; I reached out to touch =i *oons arm. :"ou can $o $et somethin$. Ill wor' on the ne&t scene with =i *oon oppa.; ,oo =in 6umped between us% brea'in$ us apart. I+e ne+er seen her so possessi+e before. :No. 5ome% oppa. "oure comin$ with me.; With that% she dra$$ed her reluctant oppa away. I shoo' my head and loo'ed down at my watch. I should get going soon. Jung 2ang needs me. en minutes later% I was seated a$ainst the tree trun'% sippin$ on warm soda% waitin$ for ,oo =in and =i *oon to return when a shadow slowly cast o+er me. I lifted my head up to stare at the person in front of me. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ stood there smilin$ at me. *is hair had $rown since the last time I had seen him awa'e% and there was a sli$ht stubble $rowin$ alon$ his 6aw% ma'in$ him appear older than he was. I couldnt belie+e my eyes. I blin'ed twice to chec' if he was actually real. *e was still standin$ there li'e some fictional character out of a boo'% waitin$ for some 'ind of response from me. he only stran$e thin$ was% he was holdin$ onto an umbrella under the sun. :"ah3 !ee =i Won3 5ome under here before you $et burned by the sun3; he shouted. I 'new. I 'new ri$ht away that 2ar' =un$ ,an$ wasnt the same. I $ot up slowly and wal'ed up to him. *e held out his hand and pulled me close. =ust not close enou$h li'e it used to be. I was starin$ at him li'e a dumbfound idiot. *e noticed the tears in my eyes. :"oure cryin$-; /fter all those times) you re finally awake- Why wouldn t I be crying( I wanted to say to him. :Im happy. "oure awa'e.; *e rolled his eyes sideway to thin' about somethin$. : /beo*i said that I would find you here. *e said that I should treat you to ice cream. !ets $o3; ,<uee>in$ my hand ti$hter% he be$an to dra$ me away before I could open my mouth to protest. ))) 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was stuffin$ his mouth full of ice cream. Not once did he spit it out li'e I e&pected. : his is $ood% =i Won. I ne+er had somethin$ this $ood before.; *e had finished three sundaes and I was still wor'in$ on mine. he 2ar' =un$ ,an$ I used to 'now would ha+e ne+er finish his ice cream% let alone e+en eat it.

After finishin$ up% he raised his head to loo' at me in<uirin$ly. :Did you 'now that I dreamt of you- "ou spo'e to me in my sleep. All I heard was your +oice. E+ery time I thou$ht I was $oin$ to ha+e a ni$htmare% you spo'e to me. "ou said% 7"ah% 2ar' =un$ ,an$. Im here with you. Im !ee =i Won% your $irlfriend. Wa'e up.; I swallowed the bile that rose from my throat. I wasnt $oin$ to cry anymore. E+en if it $ot to be too much. :4eally-; I said in return% pretendin$ to be surprise by it. *e nodded. : his time your +oice seem louder and clearer so I wo'e ri$ht up. I opened my eyes and sat up. 0ut you werent there. I only saw my parents when I $ot up. he first thin$ I did was as'ed for you.; I smiled at him. : han' you for thin'in$ of me.; :/beo*i said that I should than' you instead. 0ecause you too' care of me while I was asleep.; *e scratched the bac' of his head and then crin$ed in pain% for$ettin$ about his in6ury. :I dont $et it. 5an a person really sleep for that lon$-; :"ou were 6ust tired.; :Not no more3; he said cheerfully% standin$ up. :I feel $reat3; he added% stretchin$ his arms out. 2eople stared and I let them. *e smiled and sat bac' down. :"ah3 !ee =i Won. What do you want to do ne&t-; :Maybe we should $o home-; *e rolled his eyes upward. :*ome- Do we li+e with each other-; :No. "ou ha+e a home. I ha+e a home.; :#h.; :"ou dont want to $o home-; *e shoo' his head li'e a child. :No. I dont thin' I can stay home without seein$ your face or listenin$ to your +oice.; I've done that while you were alsee$) Jung 2ang. I've been there myself. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% he ended up brin$in$ me to store to buy a +oice recorder. he moment we wal'ed out% he handed the recorder to me. :4ecord your +oice for me% =i Won.; After doin$ so% he held it close and smiled happily. : han' you% =i Won. We can $o home now.; Chp. /1- 0he Ki' in HIM Sarang hae yo, he spo'e softly% and then chuc'led to himself before liftin$ his $a>e from the ma$a>ine to focus his attention onto me. :I lo+e you%; he repeated% only this time in En$lish. For the past fi+e minutes% while I was tryin$ to concentrate on my math homewor'% 2ar' =un$ ,an$ who was seated across from in inside the cafK has been repeatin$ the three lines o+er and o+er a$ain as if the words were meanin$less. It was to the point where it became almost unbearable. Almost% but not entirely because his handsome face made up for it. With a new haircut and donnin$ a new denim 6ac'et with matchin$ 6eans% I couldnt help admire the way he loo'ed. *onestly% who could resist such a $uy0ecause I missed him% the more time I spent with him I reali>ed that e+ery sin$le $esture started to matter. From the way he raised his eyebrow% to the way he blew on his hot be+era$e% to the way he would constantly reach out to tuc' a tendril of my hair behind my ear and especially in the way he $a>ed into my eyes whene+er he was spea'in$ directly to me. I could honestly admit that I was fallin$ in lo+e with him all o+er a$ain% 6ust by those simple $estures% but not in the same way as I had. *e touched my hand $ently% drawin$ me out of my state of contemplation. :=i Won-;

2ullin$ my hand away% I replied% :"es-; :2arang hae yo%; he said% followed by an innocent shy smile. Ai$oo3 I thin' he means it. :=un$ ,an$% youre)))D *e rested his chin on his hand. :#ppa. *ow come you dont address me as o$$a-; :I ha+e ne+er addressed you as o$$a before.; :Why not-; he in<uired. :0ecause1; I paused% tryin$ to find a reasonable reason. :0ecause it seems li'e such an intimate term.; =un$ ,an$ finally loo'ed away to pic' up the straw on the table and be$an to sip fthe hot chocolate from his mu$. ,eriously% Im be$innin$ to thin' that =un$ ,an$ was losin$ it. I ha+e ne+er seen him do somethin$ so1so1not him. As if the hot chocolate had <uenched his thirst% he made an 7ahh sound before sayin$% :0ut Im your boyfriend and Im older than you are. 0esides its a respecti+e term.; *e loo'ed bac' at me with a stern e&pression. :"ou should call me your oppa.; DWhy- "ou dont e+en act li'e one%; I blurted un'nowin$ly. #nce I reali>ed that I had stated it aloud% I co+ered my mouth and too' a sip of my hot chocolate and ended up burnin$ my ton$ue% leadin$ me to cho'e on it. 2attin$ li$htly on my nec'% I cou$hed and winded up spittin$ out the li<uid onto =un$ ,an$s face. Bh oh. I pictured his face contortin$ in an$er and shoutin$% :"A*3 =I W#N% W*A *E *E!! I, W4#N9 WI * "#B-33;

I snapped bac' to reality to see him <uic'ly reachin$ for a nap'in and leaned o+er to help wipe my mouth% instead of wipin$ at his own face. Whats wron$ with this $uy- :"ou o'ay-; I was baffled by his closeness. I prefer to 6ust stare because starin$ does thin$s to my heart and I li'e that feelin$. When he cau$ht me loo'in$ at him% he smiled and said% :I li'e the smell of your shampoo.; hat was really random. his mi$ht seem a little stran$e% but if he $ets any closer% I mi$ht 6ust ha+e to bite his nose off. Im sure e+ery $irl $oes throu$h their moments when their boyfriends start to become 7biteable. My moment happened that +ery day he offered me his arm. *owe+er% that $oes to sayin$ that perhaps I mi$ht ha+e some 'ind of bitin$ fetish- I too' the nap'in from him and inched my head bac'. :Im o'ay.; *e nodded in understandin$ before settlin$ bac' onto his seat. :I 'now it must be hard on you. Its hard enou$h on me. I cant seem to remember anythin$ e+en when I want to.; he $ood side to it is that he was willin$ to remember. *e understood the sitation he was in. he bad side to it is that he can(t seem to remember. I thou$ht bac' to what the doctor had mentioned. &Jung 2ang is suffering from a mild case of amnesia. .e ll eventually recover) but I m not @uite certain when that will ha$$en. It could take days) weeks) or maybe even months.& %What do you suggest I do(& %2tay by his side. Just hel$ him get in touch with himself again.& %#ut what about his current behavior( .e acts like!!!like a kid.&

%When he was under a coma) he must ve dreamt of being a kid again. 1hose childhood memories $robably have embedded themselves to his brain) therefore causing him to have childish behaviors. Don t worry) it s only short!term. As drama)ish% cliche and cheesy as that sounds% it was happenin$. hose bastards that did this to him were $oin$ to pay for it. Whene+er =un$ ,an$ reco+ers% they sure as hell were $oin$ to pay for it. :"oure driftin$ off a$ain%; =un$ ,an$ said% interruptin$ my thou$hts. :It was nothin$. Now% let me $et bac' to my homewor'.; I was starin$ at the math numbers on my noteboo'% but all I saw was his screenname% 2in$2on$0oy% written all o+er it. #ut of nowhere% =un$ ,an$ remo+ed the pen from my $rasp. *e was smilin$ li'e a 'id who was tryin$ to do his best to tease me. :"ah3 =i Won. Dont loo' so sad. Ill order you another hot chocolate.; I sneered and held out my hand% unwillin$ to 6oin in with his $ame. :9i+e my pen bac'% =un$ ,an$.; :5lose your eyes first.; !ately% he en6oyed playin$ small childish pran's li'e wanderin$ off on his own and when I $o searchin$ for him% and he ends up appearin$ behind me. If not that% he would steal my thin$s and ma'e me chase after him until I run out of breath. :Why-; I as'ed. :=ust do it%; he insisted. I too' a deep breath before closin$ my eyes. I felt him ta'in$ hold of my hand and writin$ somethin$ on it. I could feel his warm breath $ra>in$ alon$ my wrist teasin$ly. And his hands were $entle% bein$ careful not to hold on too ti$htly. I pee'ed. #r at least I tried to when he scolded me not to loo'. :What are you writin$-; I as'ed% $rowin$ impatient. :#'ay. #pen your eyes.; I opened them and stared at my hand. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ had printed the words in En$lish ri$ht in the center of my the palm. It read% I love you. I wonder whether the other =un$ ,an$ would e+er do somethin$ as childish and sweet. :Do you li'e it- I prefer to show you how I feel rather than sayin$ it. Its more meanin$ful. When you sayit too much% it loses its meanin$.; No wonder why he 'ept repeatin$ it earlier. I smiled% feelin$ my chee's flushin$. :"es% I li'e it.; :"oure smilin$ a$ain.; I snatched for my pen and started to do more of my homewor' but I couldnt concentrate because I felt his eyes on me. I raised my head to $lance at him% findin$ that he was indeed starin$ li'e a curious cat. :What-; *e leaned forward and mo+ed in closer so that our le$s were touchin$. I didnt 'now whether or not it was a $ood thin$ that he was bein$ affectionate. =ust two days a$o% he held onto my hand and refused to let $o% e+en after he wal'ed me home. :Do you need help-; :No%; I said matter)of)factly. :Are you sure- I finished my homewor' ri$ht after school%; he bra$$ed. And I was capable of finishin$ my own homewor'. he only person standin$ in my way of it was =un$ ,an$ himself.

Another odd occurrence happened. It had only been a wee' and a half since =un$ ,an$ left the hospital and return to school. ,urprisin$ly% he was acin$ his tests and <ui>>es and his teachers were shoc'ed at his sudden impro+ement. *is parents were happier that their son was no lon$er ditchin$ school for pin$)pon$. ,pea'in$ of pin$)pon$1 I closed my noteboo' and said% :Im done for today. !ets $et out of here.; :Where do you want to $o-; :What about a $ame of pin$ pon$-; :2in$ pon$-; he <uestioned. I waited% tryin$ to read throu$h his e&pression. ,omethin$ was re$isterin$G it 6ust wasnt $oin$ throu$h his head. :My head hurts%; he said% rubbin$ at his temples. :E+ery time you mention a word that Im familiar with)))when I try to thin' more of it% my head starts hurtin$.; :Im sorry%; I apolo$i>ed% reali>in$ that I probably made a mista'e by mentionin$ it. :Maybe we shouldnt.; :We should. I want to play%; he said ea$erly. :#'ay. !ets $o.; ))) 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was bombardin$ me with <uestions when we stood inside the lobby of his apartment% waitin$ for the ele+ator to open. :Was I a champ at it-; :"es%; I answered. :And this is my apartment-; he as'ed in disbelief% obser+in$ the place. :"es.; :Do you play well-; :?ind of%D I lied. ruth is. I suc'. : heres really a pin$)pon$ table in my apartment-; :"es.; :Do I play well-; :Didnt you already as' me that <uestion-; :I as'ed if I was a champ.; : hats the same thin$3; I snapped. :0ut I want to 'now what you ha+e to say about it.; :"es. "ou play well.; *e reached out for me% and I thou$ht he was $oin$ to pat my head. *e pinched my chee's instead. :"ou $et +ery cute sometimes.;

I pretended to smile. :,o what do you))): I turned on him% $rowin$ irritated. :If you dont stop as'in$ me <uestions% we wont be playin$3; he ele+ator finally opened and standin$ inside was the same fat man on the train. he +ery same one that =un$ ,an$ had beaten up a while a$o. *e fro>e the moment his $a>e landed on =un$ ,an$ with reco$nition. he man refused to bud$e% so I entered with =un$ ,an$ followin$ behind. :What floor-; =un$ ,an$ as'ed me. : op floor.; =un$ ,an$ turned to re$ard the older man. :Floor-; he man didnt answer him. I turned to see that he was clutchin$ onto his you!know!what as if he was holdin$ onto his dear life. *e was afraid that the same thin$ would happen a$ain. 2oor $uy. ,e+eral seconds later% the ele+ator stopped and the li$hts went out a$ain. I rolled my eyes in the dar'. #h please. his is too much of a damn coincidence. he man started to whimper and cry out desperately. :*elp me% somebody help me. Im $onna die in here3; he fat nose)pic'er was o+erreactin$. No one was doin$ anythin$ to him. I felt =un$ ,an$ mo+in$ past me to help the man% but the man 'ept refusin$ his help. :No. Dont you come close me3 I 'now what you want to do33; :,ir% I can help%; =un$ ,an$ offered. hats when the li$hts came on a$ain. When it reached our floor% the man ran out first% lea+in$ a trail of water behind him. Wait a second here. Water isnt yellowish. : hat $uy 6ust pissed on the floor%; =un$ ,an$ pointed out% pinchin$ his nose in dis$ust. :"ou thin' he was scared% or he 6ust needed to pee really bad-; I as'ed% co+erin$ my nose and mouth. :Why would he be scared- he ele+ator probably 6ust needs fi&in$%; =un$ ,an$ said. :What a stran$e $uy.; *e shru$$ed his shoulders. :*e loo's familiar thou$h.; .e s no more strange than you) Jung 2ang. ))) *e was a natural at it. I was ecstatic that 2ar' =un$ ,an$ had cau$ht on so <uic'ly. #ne moment% he was holdin$ onto the rac'et% and in the ne&t he was practicin$ a$ainst the wall of his apartment. I stood there flabber$asted while I counted his stri'es. When he reached a thousand% he turned and wiped the sweat from his forehead. :I feel really $ood. !i'e% I could $o on fore+er.; *e loo'ed down at his rac'et and somethin$ clued in. : his rac'et% I+e seen it before.;

:4eally-; I as'ed% $oin$ o+er to him. *e nodded% still starin$ at it. :Its1its my second best rac'et.; My heart pounded in e&citement. :What about your first-; :My first. My first was a butterfly rac'et1that1my $randfather had passed onto me.; ,es- We re getting somewhere:Do you remember the name-; *e scratched his head. :I thin'1I thin'%; he shoo' his head. :I ha+e no idea.; My face fell. It was hopeless. *ow much lon$er would I ha+e to continue to do this:Im sorry%; he apolo$i>ed. :!ets sit down and tal'. Maybe we can ma'e this easier-; *e too' my hand and $uided me to the lo+eseat% ma'in$ sure I sat down before he did. :Now. ell me about 2ar' =un$ ,an$ and how he used to be li'e.; I brou$ht up my le$s and hu$$ed them. :Well for one thin$))): :Wait% let me $et my recorder out%; he su$$ested. I held out my hand for him to hand it to me% but he shoo' his head. :No. I dont want your hand to $et tired.; :I wasnt the one playin$ pin$)pon$%; I reminded him. :,till% I dont want you to hold it. Ill hold it for you.; 2tubborn sweet fool. I smiled and then started. :2ar' =un$ ,an$- *ow should I describe him-; I $i$$led% feelin$ li'e I was bein$ inter+iewed. :"ou 'now% I really dont 'now where to start.; :*ow did you two meet-; I snic'ered. :It was 'ind of stupid.; :*ow so-; :I met him online.; When I reali>ed that I was spea'in$ of the same person% I <uic'ly corrected myself. :I met you online1; :And what was your first impression of me-; :#nline-; :"es% online.; :"ou were this arro$ant son)of)a)b8tch.; *e held up his hand to stop me. :Wait. "ou ha+e to answer that a$ain. his time without the swear word.; :Why not-; I as'ed incredulously. :I dont li'e hearin$ them.; ,ou stu$id idiot. ,ou curse way more than anything-

:#'ay% $o answer%; he said% placin$ the recorder near my face a$ain. :"ou were this arro$ant son)of)a)$un.; *e stopped and tss'ed at me. :"oure still swearin$% =i Won.; :,o what- Was it my fault you were an asshIle-; I snatched the recorder off him. : his is not a fric'en inter+iew so screw the censorin$. 9osh% dont ma'e me smac' you on the side of your head3; 2ar' =un$ ,an$ frowned and then settled bac'. :Fine. *old it for yourself. 0ut a $irl li'e you shouldnt be swearin$ li'e that. 9irls should be))): I was sic' and tired of all of his morality bullsh8t% so I decided to spea' o+er him. :2A4? =BN9 ,AN9 !I?E, # ,WEA4 A !# . *E, I!!)MANNE4ED% EM2E4AMEN A!% =BD9EMEN A!% 0!BN % *#NE, % A44#9AN AND ,#ME IME, ,WEE . *E *A E, I5E)54EAM AND !#@E, 2IN9)2#N9 M#4E *AN *E !#@E, *I, 9I4!F4IEND. *E *A, A NEI5E NAME NA)NA E@EN *#B9* *E D#E,N *A@E AN" ,I0!IN9,. *E, , B00#4N A, A *#4,E. *E B,ED # 4E,EM0!E #NE ##. *E A!WA", 9E , *IM,E!F IN # FI9* , E@EN W*EN *E D#E,N A,? F#4 I . *E, AF4AID #F 9*#, , AND I *IN? *I, A2A4 MEN MI9* 0E *ABN ED. *E D#E,N !I?E 0EIN9 5A!!ED B9!" E@EN *#B9* *E WA, #N5E B9!" 0E5AB,E #F *I, !#N9 *AI4. *E 2!A", =B, A0#B E@E4" ,2#4 *E4E I,%; I paused% feelin$ the tears wellin$ up in my eyes. My +oice $rew softer. :E+en with all those flaws and bad traits% I still li'e him a lot. 0ecause I accept those bad traits% =un$ ,an$ li'es me bac' for that same reason. *e can be a real pain most of the time% but its the other times that really matter. he time that he has to show his carin$ side. hats what I li'e about him most.; I wiped at my eyes and added% :And hes a superb 'isser.; I turned to see =un$ ,an$ noddin$ as if he understood. :I remember the name of the rac'et.; *e lifted his eyes to loo' at me and said softly% :0utterfly ?en6i.; ||Special Chapter||

Park Jung Sangs Online Secret Journal

02.17.04 Ive been back in Seoul for two days, but I havent made any entry since my arrival. Until now. I met a girl online today. She wasnt nice. How would I describe her? Mouthy. Rude and she has an ugly ass voice when she yells. How did I stumble across her? The faker was using my exs picture and claimed it as her own. When I confronted her online about it, she logged off. Then I called her cell number. Youre probably wondering how I managed to get her cell number. It was simple; I called up Kim Tae Woo who goes to the same school as her. Dont ask me how he got it. That motherf*cker has everyones number. Hes like a phone book when it comes to girls, so I wasnt surprised that he had her number too. He asked me why I wanted her number and I hung up on him because I didnt feel like explaining myself. That b*tch ass punk should know better than to ask me questions. The faker goes by the username KoreanPrincess because she thinks shes special. Special

my ass. If shes special, that makes me the God of Ping-Pong. I called her a b*tch and Im not sorry for it. Who told her ass to make fun of my username? So what if I like ping-pong? So what if my username happens to be PingPongBoy? At least I try to stay true to myself. Unlike her fake self. Shes no f*ckin princess thats for sure. Shes a f*ckin faker. I bet shes ugly. Real ugly. I bet shes fat with itty bitty eyes and she wears thick glasses and drools in her sleep. Her voice sounds terrible when she yells. I even told her that she sounds like a mice. Just watch. When I see her tomorrow, Im gonna make her cry.

02.18.04 She cried. F*ckin crybaby. Im f*ckin pissed that she wasnt ugly. In fact, I think shes prettier than Hye Min. Im more pissed that she called me ugly though. If she were a guy I would have pounded her face in with my basketball. Shes lucky she isnt. Shes lucky I dont hit girls; otherwise Id kick her sorry ass. The funny thing is, she wanted to hear me tell her that she was pretty. She was waiting for it like she was positive that she knew what I was going to say. I insulted her ass. Her dumb ass even mistaken me for that gay guy standing by the tree. Sh*t, I dont know if hes really gay, he just looked like it to me. I bet shes brainless. She seems like it. I bet shes got issues too. Sh*t. I think Im talkin about her too much. I dont know. She looks like the type that guys like me like to piss off for fun. Honestly, I think Im going to have fun at the new school, so long as I avoid getting into fights. Father doesnt want to force me to another school. Its not my fault that I get a lot of sh*thead jealous f*ckers who are always after me because Im better than them. Im sick of father lecturing me about the same old sh*t. Im sick of beating people up. F*ck, I need to play more ping-pong. Na-Na is acting up again. She wants me to find a new girlfriend because she assumes that itll make it easier on me. It aint easy when you dont want another one. Especially after a hard break up. Her birthday is coming up and I want to make her happy. She deserves to be happy. Maybe Ill get Tae Woo to help me find a temporary one just to please Na-Na. I should pay her too. She can be ugly, I dont think Na-Na cares. I want to buy the kid something special, but I cant think of anything. Im not good at this stuff. Honestly, Im not good at trying to keep a female happy. I dont think Ive mentioned this before but this one time when it was my mothers birthday, I bought her hairpins. She didnt even smiled. I asked her why she wasnt happy. She asked me why I couldnt come up with something better. Why would I? I told her that her hair was always messy and that I thought the hairpins would make her hair look better. I got slapped for that. And after that, I dont think I cared anymore. First day at my new school tomorrow.

If I come across the faker again, I'm gonna make her cry again.

02.19.04 If I could describe all the events that happened today in one single word, that word would be different. I dont want to get into details so Ill retell it my own way. Today I became the fakers fake boyfriend. It's not something that I'm proud of and it's not something to brag about, but this is an entry and I like being honest. Tae Woo helped me. I guess it was his way for asking for forgiveness. That ass made Hye Min like him, even when he never meant for her to like him. I thought his way of approaching the situation was kind of lame. He gets full of himself because he claims hes the best-lookin guy in the school. At times like these, I wonder why I keep such a prettyboy like Tae Woo as a friend. That f*cker only knows how to get into a girls pants. Lets get straight to the point. Why I had chosen most. Rumors has of bullsh*t. Tae down too many. I herself too. her out of all those girls? It might it that Lee Ji Won likes to lift her Woo tells me, Lee Ji Won only gained guess it makes her no different from sound stupid but she stood out the skirts for guys. But its a bunch that reputation because she turned Tae Woo. I bet shes full of

I cant help but think back to her first impression of me. Right off the bat, I could tell she hated me. I thought it wouldnt hurt me if she hated me more, thats why I chose her. I'm used to being hated. Now here's something to brag about. Today, I beat another batch of guys in the subway. These punks were a bunch of amateurs. I cant believe they fought me because they wanted a piece of her. Piece of what? Piece of her loud-mouth, twiggly body, big googley eyes, snotty face? Shes got nothing attractive on her. Ive seen better, but she's still appealing in some ways. She also bit my hand today. She became hostile when the lights went out inside the subway train. She thought she was going to die. And I thought I was going to die by having to listen to her horrible outburst. Seriously, I hate it when she yells. It's very unflattering. Why is she such a bother? And I think I need a haircut. She was looking at me weird like she wanted to look at me more. I never got that lookfrom any other girl besides Shin Hye Min. Hah, I made her cry again, just like I said I would. But this time, I didnt mean it. Nah. Truth is, I did mean it. I think she should just tape her eyes or something to stop those tears of hers. I bet shes made for crying. You cant even mention the word b*tch in front of her without having her bawl her eyes out. When it comes down to it, the faker wasnt all that bad considering that she had helped me find Na-Na, who got upset over the fact that we kept arguing in front of her on the day of her birthday. The good side to this story?

Na-Na got what she wanted. The bad side? I think Na-Na knows that its fake and Im starting to like pissing off Lee Ji Won. Thats a bad thing, isnt it? Chp. /*- 4:M:MB4ANC: $I re"e"+er !he name of the rac'et.; *e lifted his eyes to loo' at me directly. :0utterfly ?en6i.; I was so ecstaticG I ended up throwin$ my arms ti$htly around him. :"ou remember% ri$ht- "ou remember more than that-; :Would it ma'e you feel a lot better if I say yes-; I pulled bac' immediately% feelin$ my heart stop as I stared into his lost eyes. :=un$ ,an$. Is that all you remember- he name of the rac'et-; *e nodded his head shamelessly. :"es% Im sorry.; 0efore I could react to that% a sudden rin$in$ made me 6ump. =un$ ,an$ reached for his phone and <uic'ly answered it without botherin$ to chec' the number first. :*ello-; :"#B F85?ED B2% "#B D85?*EAD. "#B F85?ED B, B2 4EA! 9##D ,# N#W I!! ,*#W "#B *E MEANIN9 #F DEA *333 "#B 0E E4 9E "#B4 ,#44" A,, D#WN *E4E 0EF#4E I 04IN9 M" 2E#2!E B2333; hat only meant one thin$. hose bastards that done this to 2ar' =un$ ,an$ were not $oin$ to $i+e up. After all they had done to him% you would thin' theyd learn from their mista'es. Apparently% these $uys were somethin$ else. A frown appeared on his face as he loo'ed at his phone. :Bh1I thin' you $ot the wron$ number.; *a+in$ said that% he hun$ up on them. I snatched the phone off him and be$an to dial for the cops when the phone started to rin$ a$ain. I loo'ed at =un$ ,an$ who $estured me to hand the phone o+er to him. 0ut I refused to let anythin$ of that happen a$ain so I answered it myself. :*ello-; :Who the f8c' are you- 2ut =un$ ,an$ on.; :Im his $irlfriend and =un$ ,an$ doesnt want to spea' to you. I do.; :Whate+er% 6ust put him on the line ri$ht now.; I could feel my an$er startin$ to boil as I turned my bac' on =un$ ,an$ 6ust so he wouldnt ha+e to see how an$ry I was. :F8c' you. F8c' you and your retarded friends. Were not afraid of you3; :08tch% shut the f8c' up3; :"A*3 "#B F85?IN !#,E4. IF "#B4E ,# 9##D% "#B W#B!DN NEED FIF " 9B", #N 2A4? =BN9 ,AN9. ,# W*A N#W- "#B *A@E #@E4 EII- *A =B, MA?E, "#B !##? !I?E A F85?IN DI5?!E,, 5#WA4D% "#B MIND!E,, 24I5?3 D# "#B !##? F#4WA4D # 04EA?IN9 M#4E #F "#B4 0#NE,% *B*- D# "#B *A@E A 9I!F4IEND *A W#44IE, A0#B "#B- I 0E "#B *A@E N#NE 0E5AB,E "#B4E ,# DAMN B9!". "#B D#N ?N#W W*A I , !I?E AND W*A I *A@E 9#NE *4#B9* ,IN5E "#B AND *#,E A,,*I!E, 2B =BN9 ,AN9 IN *E *#,2I A!.; I too' a deep breath. :0E5AB,E #F ME3 0E5AB,E #F ME% *E *E!D #B #N "#B 9B",. 2A4? =BN9 ,AN9 W#B!D NE@E4 A,? AN" *IN9 F4#M "#B F85?E4,. 0B *E DID *A DA" AND "#B 9B", ##? I "#B4 #WN WA" # ,EE *A *E DIDN 5#ME AND ,EE ME #N M" 0I4 *DA". "#B

MADE *IM ,BFFE43 AND N#W I , "#B4 B4N333; I 'new it was rash to $o a$ainst them% especially at a time when =un$ ,an$ was startin$ to remember. 0ut what $irl in their ri$ht mind could refrain themsel+es from b8tchin$ at the $uys who had put her boyfriend in the hospital and made him lose his memory- All in all% I was startin$ to lose my +oice. I had waited for another reply from him but there was none. *e was <uiet. 2erhaps my outburst had wor'ed on himI turned bac' around to find =un$ ,an$ had disappeared. Bh #h. We ha+e another problem. I fi$ured he went down to confront the $uys by himself. Which was probably the worst thin$ he could do. his was so wron$. I was out the door% feelin$ my heart poundin$ out of my chest% still clutchin$ the phone to my ear when I heard =un$ ,an$s +oice shoutin$ o+er the line. :"A*3 Huit tal'in$ to my $irlfriend. Im here% you do$ f8c'er3 Ill show you what I $ot.; I heard rustlin$ and some $uys screamin$ in pain before the phone was dropped% and the line was disconnected. I was standin$ in front of the ele+ator% pressin$ the button impatiently% prayin$ to 9od that =un$ ,an$ was $oin$ to be o'ay% when it finally occurred to me. ,/.- Fuit talking to my girlfriend. I m here you dog f*cker#nly 2in$2on$0oy was capable cursin$ li'e that. hat would mean that the 2ar' =un$ ,an$ that I lo+e was bac'. When the ele+ator door opened% I rushed in% ne$lectin$ to pay attention to the person in the ele+ator and I ended up collidin$ into him. *e <uic'ly placed his arms around me and held me close. I raised my head up and pulled bac' a little to find =un$ ,an$ starin$ down at me. he tears came flowin$ out the moment I returned the hu$. All that was $oin$ throu$h my head that moment was that I was $lad to ha+e him bac' and that he remembered. I felt li'e I needed to clin$ onto him fore+er because I was afraid to let $o. I sensed he was feelin$ the same way because he clun$ to me ti$hter than I e&pected. he ele+ator mo+ed nowhere. It felt so ri$ht to be in his arms a$ain. It would be described as a silent renunion. As a matter of fact% I couldnt find my ton$ue to spea'. =un$ ,an$ decided to brea' the silence. :=i Won-; o be honest% I lo+e the way he says my name. It was somethin$ else. :"es-; I answered him. My +oice came out +ery small. I bet I sounded li'e a mouse. :I thin' I bro'e his nec'.; "eah% I 'now what youre all thin'in$. hat =un$ ,an$ always seem to ruin the moment by sayin$ somethin$ random. Its a $ood thin$ that he bro'e the $uys nec'. hat idiot deser+es it. I pulled bac' to loo' him in the eyes while placin$ a hand on the side of his face tentati+ely. :What about you% are you hurt anywhere-; *e returned the $esture and I could feel the warmth of his hands flowin$ onto my chee'. :No. Im fine.; :And the others-; : here was only one other. hat chic'en sh8t ran off the moment he saw me.; I smiled and then chuc'led. :Im $lad you did that.; *e half smiled. :I remembered 0utterfly ?en6i and minutes after that call% when you were $oin$ cra>y with your swear words% thats when it finally occurred to me and then remembered e+erythin$ else. I remembered the day of your birthday.

he scene replayed o+er a$ain li'e I was watchin$ a mo+ie. I saw what they did to the ca'e. I saw them attac'in$ me from all sides.; *e stopped e&plainin$ and the e&pression slowly morphed into an an$ry one. :At one point% I thou$ht I was $oin$ to die. It was all too much. he last thin$ that went throu$h my head the moment I collapse was how sorry I was. I was sorry that I couldnt $et to you.; I $ripped his arm. : hat doesnt matter now. Im $lad I $ot you now.; :*earin$ you curse li'e that)))its wron$. hat wasnt you% =i Won. What ha+e I turned you into-; :Im more than that. I+e chan$ed <uite a bit%; I admitted. :We both did%; he said% wantin$ to reach out to pat my head when I $lared at him% causin$ him to stop mid)way. :,orry%; he apolo$i>ed. I $rabbed his hand and placed it on my head. :Dont be sorry% =un$ ,an$. I dont want you to be sorry unless you really need to be sorry. I dont want you to be sweet unless you want to be. I dont want you to act childish and annoyin$. I dont want you to carry an umbrella under the hot sun. And I dont want you to tell me to call you oppa. I don(t want you to sip hot chocolate with a straw nor do I e+er want you to eat ice)cream and tell me you en6oy it.D I wanted to cry. I found myself tearless that moment. And bein$ tearless% I found myself lau$hin$ instead at the ridiculousness of my confession. =un$ ,an$s e&pression was priceless. "ou could tell he was surprised and pissed off. :I cant belie+e I did those thin$s. Its li'e I was possessed or somethin$. I don(t want you to remind me either.D I smiled% brin$in$ my hand up to tap the top of his head. :Its o'ay. It was rather sweet while it lasted. Now youre bac' to the old you.; I turned my bac' on him and stared at the closed door. :,o% you thin' we should call out for help-; :No.; I turned bac' around to face him. :Why not- Were stuc' here.; *e had his eyes on his feet. :I meant no Im not bac' to my old self.; :I dont understand.; *e raised his eyes to loo' at me. :My old self didnt include you. he new me has $ot you.; I suppressed a warm smile to show him that I understood. hen I reached out for his hand. *e too' my hand and s<uee>ed it affectionately. :"oure ri$ht%; I a$reed. : his is the part where we $et mushy ri$ht-; he as'ed% starin$ directly into my eyes as he drew me closer. :No. Who placed that idea in your head-; :I watch tele+ision.; :We all do.; :I read a few boo's.; :!iar% you dont read.; :I used to.; DI don(t want to 'now what 'ind of boo's you read.D *e was $ettin$ closer and closer and I found myself bac' away until he cornered me% placin$ both hands on either side of me. It seemed li'e an act of possession and control. his was another stran$e side to =un$ ,an$ that I ha+en(t seen

before. I could feel the heat burnin$ in my chee's and the butterflies flutterin$ in my tummy when I stared numbly at his handsome face. :What are we doin$% =un$ ,an$-; *e was smir'in$ when he reached out to s<uee>e my nose and then $ently tap my forehead bac'ward% causin$ my head to hit a$ainst the wall. :"ah3 What does it loo' li'e to you- Do you really thin' Im your 'ni$ht in shinin$ armor-; I made a face and mumbled under my breath. :!oser.; *e smiled% loo'in$ around inside the ele+ator as he folded his arms to$ether. DDummy. What ma'es you thin' I(d 'iss you inside a stalled ele+ator-D he ne&t thin$ I 'new% =un$ ,an$ was ban$in$ on the walls of the ele+ator. :"A*3 W*#, IN 5*A49E *E4E- 9E B, *E *E!! #B #F *E4E3 W*" D#E, *I, , B2ID E!E@A #4 A!WA", 9E , B5?-3; ,urprisin$ly% a +oice answered him bac'. :If you didnt 'now already% the ele+ator is haunted3 *ahahaha3; :Dont tal' bullsh8t. 9et us out of here3; :5hill buddy. Im tryin$%; came the +oice. :"eah- Well youre not tryin$ hard enou$h. Dont call me buddy. Im not your buddy.; he li$hts went out. We were standin$ in the dar'. =un$ ,an$ was the first to say somethin$. DWhy is your hand so cold% =i Won-D What was he tal'in$ about- I wasn(t holdin$ onto his hand. #h no. !et(s not tell him.

))) MSN con?ersa!ions N1: Da"erBoy says: I $a+e her it. NaNa says: Dont lie. Da"erBoy says: "ou type slow NaNa says: "oure slower than me Da"erBoy says: No. While you were typin$% I had time to pic' my nose. NaNa says: "oure $ross. While you were pic'in$ your nose and tryin$ to type% I went to $et a $lass of water and came bac'. Da"erBoy says: she cried. NaNa says: ,he didDa"erBoy says: "eah I heard her bawl her eyes out. I was listenin$ at her door. NaNa says: I miss your sister. I cried too. Da"erBoy says: What- he old $randmother 'nows how to cry tooNaNa says: Why do you call me he $randmother- I told you to respect me as if Im your $randmother not to call me $randmother. Whats wron$ with youDa"erBoy says: It bothers you- *A *A3 9randmother frea'33 5han$e your username to 7 he 9randmother NaNa says: shut up3

Da"erBoy says: My mouth is shut. Its my fin$ers that are typin$. ell my fin$ers to stop. NaNa says: stop then3 Da"erBoy says: oo bad. My mind is thin'in$ and my fin$ers are typin$ for it. ell my mind to stop then. NaNa says: youre retarded Da"erBoy says: he $randmother3 NaNa says: #h yeah- At least Im not a crybaby and a wuss. "ou dont remember that day- "ou $ot beat up. Da"erBoy says: shut up. NaNa says: "ou cant win. I $otta $o. Anyway% tell your sister that Im $oin$ bac' to ,eoul in three days. Were mo+in$ bac' there. I $et to see e+eryone a$ain3 0ye3 N*: H:4Ono!Fro"=BSK says: hat b8tch remembers a$ain. Maybe I should ta'e him on real $ame of 2in$ 2on$H:4OisDAK says: "oull lose. No doubt. "oure no match for him. H:4Ono!Fro"=BSK says: how do you 'now- "ou ne+er saw me play H:4OisDAK says: I dont ha+e to see you play. 9ay $uys dont win tournaments. H:4Ono!Fro"=BSK says: Is that why you ne+er winH:4OisDAK says: I dont play pin$)pon$ H:4Ono!Fro"=BSK says: What do you playH:4OisDAK says: I dont play anythin$. H:4Ono!Fro"=BSK says: No wonder why you only $ot the face to show off for H:4OisDAK says: Is it my fault that you find me so attracti+eH:4Ono!Fro"=BSK says: you feel the same way about me H:4OisDAK says: hold up KOON0A:isO77icia##yDay says: there. Much better. 0A:WOOisMyBF says: yeah% youre ri$ht. his is much better. N,: ShinHK:MINEs 7an says: #m$% is this ,hin *ye Min- "oure so pretty3 Hye Min says: "es% its me. han' you. ShinHK:MINEs 7an says: youre welcome. Hye Min says: how did you find meShinHK:MINEs 7an says: I as'ed someone for your email address% so I decided to add you to my msn list. Hye Min says: but this email is supposed to be pri+ate. ShinHK:MINEs 7an says: oh% is it- Im sorry. Hye Min says: Its o'ay. =ust ta'e me off your list after our con+ersation because Im $onna be doin$ that to you. ShinHK:MINEs 7an says: What- "ou dont li'e meHye Min says: how can I li'e you- I dont e+en 'now you. ShinHK:MINEs 7an says: =ust because you thin' youre prettier than all the other $irls% doesnt ma'e you that special Hye Min says: ShinHK:MINEs 7an says: What is :-; supposed to meanHye Min says: Do I 'now youShinHK:MINEs 7an says: -1 Hye Min says: Im $oin$ to lo$ off. I dont need to waste my time with you. ShinHK:MINEs 7an says: "ou 6ust did Hye Min says: whate+er ShinHK:MINEs 7an says: you suc'3 I 'now you $ot your eyelids done3 KIM SOO %IN roc)s says: ahahhhahah3 hats ri$ht b8tch. !o$ off3 Chp./,--:N= - 4e"iniscen! o7 Lee %i Won "ou dont loo' at him and thin' that hes the best boyfriend I e+er had. "ou loo' at 2ar' =un$ ,an$ and say that youre 6ust luc'y to ha+e him. After all we been throu$h% I reali>ed there would ne+er be anyone else li'e him. *es that special character in my story)))the one that steals my heart% the one that ma'es me smile% cry and lau$h% the one that feels way

the same about me. As cheesy as it may sound% I wouldnt be writin$ about him% if he wasnt important. hree days after that ma'e up in the haunted ele+ator% I finally had the coura$e to confess to =un$ ,an$ that it wasnt my hand that he held onto in the dar'. hat +ery same day% he decided to sleep at his parents house and demanded that his father help search for another place for him. *is mother on the other hand% demanded that her son li+e with them since Na)Na was returnin$ to ,eoul. Ahn Na)Na. We all met her up in the airport. he little brat =in *yun$ decided to ta$ alon$ and he was the first to spot her when she showed up. I was surprised to see him runnin$ after her li'e he missed her more than I did. Na)Na was the same way. :!ee =in *yun$3; she shouted% runnin$ towards him when suddenly she tripped and fell o+er her feet. I could feel my heart pumpin$ with ner+ousness. =in *yun$ rushed to her aid and helped her stand up. :"ou o'ay% Na)Na-; =un$ ,an$ and I e&chan$ed curious $lances. :"oure brat brother better not try to hit on my niece.; :,hes not your niece% =un$ ,an$.; :,o what- ,hes still my niece. =ust tell your brother to watch it.; he tone in his +oice. *e sounded <uite serious. !i'e he was 6ealous rather than protecti+e of Na)Na. :=in *yun$ isnt that type. *es still a 'id. *e doesnt 'now anythin$ about lo+e%; I ar$ued% noticin$ that =in *yun$ was blowin$ on Na)Nas scraped palms% pro+in$ me wron$. =un$ ,an$ was already hurryin$ towards them. :"ah3 !et her $o% 'id3; he scoffed. =in *yun$ dropped Na)Nas hand and went ri$id at =un$ ,an$s tone% but Na)Na $rabbed his hand bac' and held ti$hter% smilin$ sweetly at her uncle. :*e was helpin$ me% =un$ ,an$. "ou dont need to be protecti+e. Were 6ust friends.; ,he turned to smile at =in *yun$ who was blushin$ to the point that his chee's were turnin$ rosy. Im tellin$ you. It was hard to loo' at him li'e that. I dont 'now what was $oin$ on between the two but I rec'on =in *yun$ had been a secret spy for Na)Na. I wouldnt be surprised if she 'new e+erythin$ that went on. And if she 'new% would she able to for$i+e us,he loo'ed past =un$ ,an$ and landed her eyes on me. *er smile fell. I felt my heart collapsin$ too. ,he released =in *yun$ and ran towards me. I opened my arms to recei+e her in a ti$ht embrace% feelin$ the tears soa'in$ my chee's. :!ee =i Won. I miss you the most. I miss you more than I miss 2ar' =un$ ,an$%; she mumbled throu$h her tears. I nodded my hand and stro'ed her bac' affectionately. :I miss you too% Na)Na. *ow ha+e you been-; :I+e been $ood. What about you% =i Won-; :I+e been $ood. It could ha+e been better if you were here.; :0ut you ha+e =un$ ,an$. I had no one when I was there. No one understood how I felt.; I 'new it was hard for her to cope with her $uardians. I drew my head bac' to loo' at her% wiped her tears away and placed a chaste 'iss on her forehead. :Its o'ay% sweety. Im here now. "oure here now.; his time it was her turn to wipe my tears and 'issed me on the forehead. :I lo+e you% =i Won. I 'now what happened. "ou dont need to tell me anythin$. =in *yun$ told me e+erythin$. I heard what happened with =un$ ,an$ too. I 'now he wouldnt want to tal' about it% so well 'eep that between us.; he ima$inary hea+y bric' that settled upon my chest earlier was slowly bein$ lifted off. I pulled her to me once more and said% :I lo+e you too.; :"ah3 What about me- Dont I $et a 'iss-; =un$ ,an$ <uestioned% standin$ two feet away% loo'in$ a bit 6ealous.

Na)Na craned her head and smiled. :From who-; I felt my chee's flusterin$. he 'id sure 'nows how to ma'e a person blush. :"ou of course% you little brat. =i Wons 'isses suc's.; Ai$oo3 hat bastard3 It wasnt li'e we 'issed e+eryday. #ur 'isses only happen once in a blue moon. And is it my fault that he was a better 'isser than I amNa)Na ran to her uncle and he lifted her hi$h in the air before plantin$ a <uic' 'iss on her lips. he way he showed his affection for her made my heart melt. I 'new =un$ ,an$ lo+es his niece and 6ust seein$ that side of him% made me want to run up to him and plant 'isses all o+er his face. ))) ,oon after we were bac' to Na)Nas fa+orite place. he ice)cream parlor. :#pen your mouth% =un$ ,an$3; Na)Na said% placin$ the spoonful of ice cream near his mouth. *e made an irritated e&pression and wanted to ar$ue when Na)Na <uic'ly slipped the ice cream in% mufflin$ out his words. :I $ot you% =un$ ,an$.; My little brother =in *yun$ who was seated beside me% finished two sundaes and was wor'in$ on his third one. *e was too focused on eatin$ that he ne$lected to reali>e that he was startin$ to resemble a pi$. I couldnt blame the 'id. *e doesnt eat li'e this e+eryday. And not e+eryday% =un$ ,an$ treats us to ice cream. I leaned forward to 'ic' =un$ ,an$s 'nee from beneath the table. :,wallow% you dummy.; *is brows furrowed and spat the ice cream onto my face. :Who you callin$ a dummy-; Feelin$ dis$usted% I shrie'ed% :"ah33 2ar' =un$ ,an$33; :What-; he said% $rabbin$ for a nap'in to wipe his own mouth with it. :F8c' you3; I yelled a$ain% feelin$ an$ry with him% addin$ another 'ic' to his le$. =un$ ,an$ bit his lower lip to hide his pain and then said to his niece% :E&cuse us for one moment% Na)Na.; With that% he slipped under the table% dra$$in$ me alon$ with him as I let out another shrie'. :Noona% whats $oin$ on-; I heard =in *yun$ as' from abo+e us. :Eat your ice cream3; =un$ ,an$ answered% tappin$ from the bottom of table. :,hut up. What are you doin$ to my noona-; :Ill twist that mouth of yours off if you dont shut up and mind your own business3; =un$ ,an$ retorted. :08tch%; I heard =in *yun$ mutter. :Why that little))): :"ou are a b8tch3; I cut him off. =un$ ,an$ shifted so that he could loc' his le$s around me as pulled me close. I could read it in his e&pression that he was tryin$ his best not to lau$h at me. :"ou loo' cute with ice cream all o+er your face%; he spo'e softly. I wanted to wipe it off when he stopped me and pulled out a nap'in to do it for me. I 'ept starin$% admirin$ his features when he said% :,top starin$. Its rude.; :Im your $irlfriend and your face happens to be stic'in$ out in front me. What am I supposed to do% not loo' at it-;

:"ou ma'e me uncomfortable when you do that%; he said% wipin$ my nose. :Why would you be-; *e let out a small chuc'le. :Im not the best loo'in$ $uy% =i Won.; : o me% you are%; I admitted. *e stopped and leaned in close enou$h that his face was a breath away. :Am I that special to you-; he as'ed% starin$ at my lips. I smiled and then answered% :"es.; I could feel the 'iss comin$ on. *owe+er% I was so +ery wron$ about that one. *e went bac' to wipin$ the rest of ice cream off my face. :If it means anythin$ to you% I thin' about you more than I thin' about playin$ pin$ pon$.; I couldnt help but lau$h. It was supposed to be meanin$ful and belie+e me it was considerin$ 2in$2on$0oy was obsessed with pin$)pon$ and I $uess it was his way of tellin$ me that he li'es me. :"ou $ot the stran$est lines% =un$ ,an$. heyre not romantic.; *e finally placed the nap'in aside and reached out to tuc' a tendril of hair behind my ear. :I told you Im not romantic.; I loo'ed around and said% :"es% that e&plains why were under the table.; *e smir'ed. :I pulled you down here to punish you for callin$ me a dummy and 'ic'in$ me. What did you thin' I was $oin$ to do-; :I dont 'now. "ou tell me.; :Were done%; he said% mo+in$ away from me when I reached out to stop him. :Dont $o up yet% =un$ ,an$. I li'e it down here.; Ai$oo. hat came out +ery wron$. *e raised a curious brow. :"ou bein$ nau$hty% =i Won-; :No. #f course not. Its 6ust))): I really didnt 'now what the hell I was thin'in$. :For$et it%; I finished% mo+in$ away when I felt his $rip on my arm% pullin$ me bac' and plantin$ a <uic' 'iss on my lips. *e smiled. : hat was your punishment.; And then he settled bac' into his seat a$ain. I wanted to scream in e&citement% but my heart was flutterin$ li'e cra>y and my le$s were too numb to mo+e. 9osh% sometimes I 6ust hate him. he only thin$ that snapped me out of it was the 7oohin$ sounds that came from Na)Na and =in *yun$. )))

:#ppa3 *waitin$33 #ppa% hwaitin$3; :#ppa. A6a3 A6a *waitin$33; I made a face and $a+e a sidelon$ $lance at the hyper $irl beside me who was 6umpin$ up and down% cheerin$ on her

boyfriend who loo'ed li'e he could stran$le her any second. ,tandin$ ne&t to him was 2ar' =un$ ,an$ who was actually coachin$ him on the $ame. ?im ae Woo and !ee "oon ae were also there doin$ their stretches while the $irls sittin$ close to me screamed and shouted at how cute they were. "oon ae seems to be teasin$ them by liftin$ his shirt up to wipe at his face while ae Woo was rollin$ up his slee+es to show off his arms. :?im ae Woo3 !ee "oon ae3 "ou hot bastards33; some of the chanted in unision. I could $a$ at this point. :"ah3 "ou cra>y b8tch. ,it your ass down before I 'noc' you down3; some $irl shouted from behind us to the loudmouth beside me. ,he stopped and spun around to $lare at the $roup of $irls behind her. :Who 6ust said that- Who the f8c' 6ust said that% huh-; he person to stand up was a tall s'inny loo'in$ thin$ with a pretty attracti+e face. ,he loo'ed oddly familiar. I+e seen her around somewhere% I was certain of it. I noticed the $irl seated ne&t to her. ,hin *ye Min also came alon$. ,he howe+er was smir'in$ the whole time. It was as if she was pushin$ for them to fi$ht. hen I remembered. he tall s'inny $irl had to be *ye Mins cousin. ,he was another popular 7prettyface. Althou$h% I thin' I for$ot her name. It was somethin$ alon$ the lines of 7=o =o. he only thin$ that stood out in my mind was how unusually lar$e her eyes were. "eah% she $ot her eyes done and I thin' she wears a wi$ because she didnt li'e her boyish haircut. :I did% you b8tch. What are you $oin to do about it-; Alien eyes replied bodly. he $irl beside me who was small in si>e with pretty hair $lared at 7=o =o and rolled up her shirt slee+es. :"ou wanna fi$ht% b8tch- 5ome o+er here. Ill $ou$e your alien eyes out from your soc'ets3; I co+ered my mouth% $rowin$ ner+ous. What if the two were both psychos- 0ut then a$ain% this wasnt my problem. I shifted o+er a seat. he ne&t thin$ I 'new% ,hin *ye Min came to sit ne&t to me. : hats my cousin. 0ut Im $uessin$ you already 'now that.; I nodded. :"es.; ,he 'ept her $a>e on the court% obser+in$ only =un$ ,an$. :*e seems different.; :*e is%; I pointed out. :0ecause of you% he chan$ed.; I didnt 'now what she meant by that. I heard loud shrie'in$ and turned to notice that the fi$ht between alien eyes and loudmouth already started. !oudmouth had yan'ed off =o =os red lon$ wi$. :Eww% youre u$ly3; !oudmouth yelled% slappin$ her opponent. I tried to i$nore them and turned bac' to say to *ye Min. :No% he chan$ed because of you% *ye Min. And hes what he is now because of me.; :"ou seem pretty confident that this relationship is $oin$ to last%; she said% $i+in$ me a derisi+e snort. :We both held out for this lon$. 2erhaps I held e+en lon$er than you did with him%; I said% intendin$ to pro+e my point and piss her off at the same time. ,he released a soft chuc'le. :"oure $ood. Im actually really hurtin$ ri$ht now.; ,he held her head low% her chuc'le ceased into a sniffle instead. :I re$ret e+erythin$ I did. If I could ta'e bac' what I did% I would. 0ut its too late for that. "ou win% =i Won. "ou $ot 2ar' =un$ ,an$.; I dont 'now what $a+e her the idea that I was playin$ a $ame with her in the first place. :It isnt about $oin$ a$ainst each other. What $a+e you that idea-; I <uestioned.

:0ecause you hate me.; :Who says I hated you- "ou started with me first.; ,he <uic'ly wiped her eyes and retorted% :"ou stole my picture and pretended to be me3; :I sa+ed your picture and I used it to be me. Its not called stealin$)))more li'e borrowin$3 And besides you should be flattered. "oure luc'y I didnt post my real picture% otherwise Id be actin$ and sin$in$ ri$ht now3; I still heard shrie'in$ in the bac'$round. Alien Eyes and !oudmouth were still $oin$ at it% tusslin$ with each other on the floor while the $uys started to surround them too. :"oure insultin$ me% =i Won3; *ye Min accused. :I cant help it. "oure ma'in$ me an$ry%; I retorted. ,he raised her hand. :Wanna die-; I raised my fist. :Do you-; ,he smiled e+illy. :"ou wouldnt dare to hit me.; :#nly if you do it first.; :5hic'en sh8t3; she spat out. And then W*AM3 I struc' ,hin *ye Min s<uare in the face% forcin$ her off her seat. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ <uic'ly came to my side% loo'in$ from me to *ye Min. :=i Won. What the hell is your problem-; he <uestioned% $oin$ o+er to help *ye Min up. ,he pulled away from =un$ ,an$ and started to lau$h and cry at the same time. :I didnt thin' youd do it% =i Won. I really didnt thin' youd do it.; I unclenched my hands and said% :"ou pro+o'ed me. I did it.; =un$ ,an$ wanted to help *ye Min up a$ain when she pulled away and shouted at him. :Dont touch me li'e that% oppa. I dont want to remember. I dont want to do this anymore.; And then she fled li'e a tormented weepin$ do$. ryin$ to conceal the hurt underneath my mas'ed e&pression% I said to =un$ ,an$. :Nice of you to defend your own $irlfriend.; I was out of there in a flash. *urt% an$ry and upset that 2ar' =un$ ,an$ decided to <uestion me instead of *ye Min% I ran outside and plopped on the $round% cursin$ li'e a madwoman. :"oure so stupid% =i Won. Why are you actin$ li'e a childhis is what you $et for tryin$ to defend yourself. "ou $et told by your own boyfriend.; I felt his hands liftin$ me up to stand. :"oure beha+in$ li'e a spoiled child% =i Won.; I tried to hold him down with my wei$ht so that he would ha+e no choice but to fi$ht a$ainst me. :,tand up. ,top leanin$ your wei$ht a$ainst me.; :No.; :=i Won%; he warned. :No3; :Ill drop you3; I stood up and spun around on him. :What ri$ht did do you ha+e to $et an$ry at me-; *e $a+e me an almost innocent blan' loo'. :Im an$ry-;

:Are you-; :No.; : hen why did you help *ye Min-; :,he was on the floor. What was I to do% not help her-; :,ince when did you become a $entlemen-; :,ince I dated you%; he retorted. :Whats wron$ with you-; :Dont as' me that. I hate when you as' me whats wron$. heres nothin$ wron$% o'ay- I was 6ust $oin$ throu$h one of those 7moments where I felt 6ealous% o'ay- I was 6ust bein$ your $irlfriend% thats all3; I e&ploded. :Im sorry. If thats what you wanted to hear. Im sorry for <uestionin$ you.; With that% he was $one% lea+in$ me all alone. ))) Fi$hts. hey were bound to happen one way or another. E+ery couple fi$hts. ,ome more than others. If they didnt% they wouldnt be considered a couple. Its the moment of ma'in$ it up that ma'es up for the fi$hts. With 2ar' =un$ ,an$% thin$s were different. If he had to ma'e a point% he would say it and $et it o+er with. hen it would be left to me to run to him ne&t. *e was done with what he wanted to say and I was too damn stubborn to run bac' to him and apolo$i>e on my part e+en when I 'new that it was partially my fault. ,ometimes% I hate bein$ in a relationship. imes li'e these% made me miss the 7bein$ sin$le part. hat e+enin$ I recei+ed a call from ?im ,oo =in and ended tellin$ her the details of my fi$ht. :"ah3 !ee =i Won)ah. Why are you so damn stubborn- "our story needs to end somehow. Why cant you two 'iss and ma'e up-; :What do you mean% my story needs to end-; :Idiot. Dont you 'now theres always a happy endin$ to e+eryones story- !i'e mine for e&ample. My story ended the moment !ee =i *oon as'ed me out on a date. Wheres your endin$% huh- 5hoose one. Its been almost a year already and youre still doodlin$ about with this 2in$2on$0oy of yours.; ,he was ri$ht. here had to be some 'ind of closure between us. What was there left for us- We+e already been throu$h issues as a couple and Na)Na had returned to us. What was there left to doo be honest% the only thin$ left is1 :I ha+ent told him I lo+e him yet- Maybe thats why hes been so cran'y lately-; I said to ,oo =in. :#* M" 9#D3; ,oo =in said in En$lish% which sounded terrible. :Whats wron$ with you- "ou ha+ent told him that you lo+e him- What 'ind of idiot are you- Why didnt you tell me this earlier-; :"eah% and what are you $oin$ to do about it-; :I would ha+e placed a lo+e spell on the both of you.; :Is that what you did to !ee =i *oon-; :What- No. 9ee>% he fell for my personality% alri$ht- I told you% hes into chubby $irls.; :"eah% I $uess.; :Well. When you see him% tell him. Its not hard if you lo+e the $uy.; :#'ay. I will. Ill tell him.;

))) 2ar' =un$ ,an$ was lau$hin$ at me% or rather he was lau$hin$ at what I was wearin$. :"ah3 =i Won. I as'ed you to come out toni$ht to see me% I didnt as' you out on a date.; I was wearin$ a nice cream s'irt with heels on and an off the shoulder white top that made me feel <uite uncomfortable. I+e ne+er dressed up this much before because I was that confident that if I wore anythin$% it would still loo' $ood on me. My hair was curled and I had ma'e up on. I bet he thou$ht I loo'ed li'e a clown. 2ar' =un$ ,an$ on the other was wearin$ a na+y blue hoodie alon$ with a pair of 6eans and a $ray beanie on his head. *e loo'ed li'e he was wal'in$ a do$)))e&cept there was no do$ around. :Dont lau$h%; I snic'ered. :"ou loo' pretty. If thats what you wanted to hear.; :5an you not do that-; :What-; :,ay 7If thats what you wanted to hear.; :Im sure that what you wanted to hear considerin$ youre dress li'e that.; :"ou say it li'e you dont want to say it.; :I say because I 'now thats what you want.; :5an we not start a$ain-; :5an we stop-; :"es. ,top.; :A$reed.; It was all about compromisin$. We all need to compromise somehow. *e approached me and held out his hand. :9i+e me your hand% Miss 0arbie.; :Im not a 0arbie% Mr. *orsey.; *e inclined his head and corrected himself. :?orean2rincess.; I $a+e him my hand and smiled. :#'ay% 2in$2on$0oy. Where are we $oin$-; :5lose your eyes first.; I shut my eyes and listened intently as he $uided me forward. :Do you trust me% =i Won-; :"es.; :If you trust me% ne+er doubt me.; :#'ay.; )))

*alf and hour later when he told me to open my eyes% I was $reeted by the candle li$hts that surrounded the pin$ pon$ table inside =un$ ,an$s old apartment. In the center of the table was a lar$e pin' pin$)pon$ paddle shaped ca'e. It didnt say 7*appy 0irthdayG instead it read 7,aran$ *ae "o. I smiled happily as I loo'ed at =un$ ,an$ who went on the other side of the table. :Its for the both of us. And the fact that I lost your ca'e the other time%; he e&claimed% followed by boyish smile. :!ets ma'e a wish and blow out the candles to$ether.; I closed my eyes and concentrated. My wish. My wish was that I didnt want the ni$ht to end. I wanted to spend the rest of the ni$ht with 2ar' =un$ ,an$ by my side. hat was all that mattered. When I opened my eyes% I found his pair of eyes starin$ bac' at me. :"ou ready- #n the count of three. #ne1two1 three.; We both blew out the candles and watch it $o out in that sin$le blow. I clapped e&citedly li'e I usually would if I was celebratin$ my own birthday. :#ppa3 A6a3; =un$ ,an$ smiled widely and said% :Dont call me that.; I stuc' my ton$ue at him. Ne&t thin$ you 'now% =un$ ,an$ $rabbed a chun' of ca'e and threw it into my face. :*a+e some% its $ood.; I did the same% throwin$ at his face% but he easily dod$ed it. I reached for another chun' and started to chase him around the table. :"ah3 Dont run you dummy3; :If you can catch me% Ill surrender.; ?nowin$ I was no match a$ainst him% I $a+e up and said% :I wont catch you. heres no point. I thin' I twisted my an'le.; *e came around to help me and thats when I stuffed the ca'e into his face. :"ou fool3; *e $rabbed both my arms and pinned me a$ainst the floor% lea+in$ me no choice but to stare into his handsome face. I would ha+e yield to him then. :=un$ ,an$. !et $o.; :Why should I- I ha+e you ri$ht where I wanted you.; I blushed% thin'in$ that it was the perfect time to tell him. :=un$ ,an$-; :"es-; he as'ed% stro'in$ my hair bac'. :I want to tell you that))): :"ou lo+e me.; :Wait)))how did you))): :"ou dont ha+e to. I already 'now.; *e leaned in towards me and I prepared myself for the 'iss when we heard someone shoutin$% :"ah3 What the hec' are you two still doin$ here- =un$ ,an$% I thou$ht you were ne+er comin$ bac'-; A lady with hair rollers in her head chided us. =un$ ,an$ helped me to stand and loo'ed at the ca'e and then to the lady. :,orry% A6ummah. Well $o.; :9o. 0ut lea+e the ca'e here.; :0ut its our ca'e3; he ar$ued.

:I own this place3; :I bou$ht the ca'e% a6ummah3; :I dont care. "ou didnt pay lasts month rent. ,o you still owe me. Where did you $et the money to afford a ca'e-; :9reedy% a6ummah3; he retorted as he dra$$ed me out of the apartment and added on his way out% :"ou hair is u$ly a6ummah3 "ou ha+e no hair% whats the point of usin$ the rollers-; When we were out of there% I couldnt help but lau$h. :"oure not creati+e% =un$ ,an$. Why did you brin$ me bac' there-; :I couldnt thin' of any other place.; "eah% hes not really ori$inal nor is he creati+e so that ruined it for us. hat and the fact that he humiliated the woman bac' there. 2eople on the streets eyed us stran$ely as we wal'ed past them. :We both still ha+e ca'e on our face% do you reali>e that-; :!et them thin' whate+er. I dont care anymore.; #ne $uy with itty bitty eyes lau$hed and pointed at our direction. =un$ ,an$ decided to approach him% $rabbin$ his shirt collar. :What you lau$hin at Mr. 4ice eyes-; I thou$ht he didnt care what they thou$ht. he $uy cowered and stru$$led a$ainst him. :Im sorry.; =un$ ,an$ sho+ed him and said% : hats ri$ht. "ou should be sorry.; *e came bac' to me and placed a possessi+e hand around my shoulder. :Im sorry about the ca'e. I tried.; :It tastes $ood.; :Does it-; I nodded. *e turned me to face him. :*ow $ood-; :Its strawberry fla+ored.; *e was still starin$ at my face and I was startin$ to feel uncomfortable. :9ood%; he a$reed. :Now let me try.; *e drew me around the waist and 'issed me full on the mouth. I didnt ha+e to time to react. It was a complete surprise. #nce a$ain% I was entirely succumbed to his 'iss. 9osh damn 2in$2on$0oy and his 'isses3 ))) I wanted a happy endin$ and decided to end my story where we shared that wonderful 'iss. It was perfect in spite of the imperfectness of the atmosphere and the situation we were in. I% !ee =i Won dont belie+e in sad endin$s. !i'e ?im ,oo =in had told me% you 6ust ha+e to choose the ri$ht moment to end it. For e+ery sad story there is a happy endin$. For e+ery happy endin$% there is a better happy endin$. No tra$edy should end a tra$edy. hat is what I li'e to belie+e. his is it people. his is the end of my so)called lo+e story with my boyfriend also 'nown as My 2in$2on$0oy also 'nown as 2ar' =un$ ,an$.

I didnt write this story because I wanted to create another comical clichK story about hi$h school lo+e. I wrote this because I wanted to show you the character that created my story. he character that made it a story. And that my friends% is 2ar' =un$ ,an$. If youre curious in what happened to the other characters in my story. Ill $i+e you and update. Ahn Na(Na returned bac' to school and ended up bein$ in !ee =in *yun$s class. ,he had s'ipped to his le+el and =in *yun$ was an$ry at first but he was $lad that Na)Na was there to help stop the bullies that bullied him constantly at school. Lee Koon 0ae finally $raduated and went bac' to 2usan and became a celebrity. *is popularity soared e+er since that 7uhll6an$ contest. *e says he had to $o bac' to meet some $irl whom he fell in lo+e with o+er the internet. *e also had a showdown with 2ar' =un$ ,an$ and of course% =un$ ,an$ 'ic'ed his ass and made him chan$e his mind about pin$) pon$. E+entually% he says he was ne+er made for it. Ki" 0ae Woo went to study o+erseas. *e still 'eeps in contact with =un$ ,an$ and myself. *e says hes datin$ a ?orean American o+er there. ,he 'eeps callin$ him a 7F#0 and he doesnt understand what that is. *e said he didnt mind% as lon$ as she said it to him only. *e plans to +isit in the summer too and wants to brin$ her alon$. Shin Hye Min mo+ed on to another man. ,he was datin$ some famous sin$er and they met because she was his bac') up dancer. ,he tries to act li'e its a secretG meanwhile the papara>>i are followin$ their e+ery mo+e. ,he writes to me once in a while. #nly when she feels li'e bra$$in$. !ast I heard% shes two months pre$nant. Ki" Soo %in has impro+ed as an actress. *er $oal was to always act. I went to watch a few of her plays that she participated in and I was <uite impressed. I ne+er 'new ,oo =in could be so $ood at cryin$. *er boyfriend !ee =i *oon is still datin$ her. *es such a sweet $uy. E+ery time Im around him% I cant help but flirt. As for myself% I started to write when I came across a site where other $irls were sharin$ their tales about how horrible their boyfriends were. When I started to tell them my story% they said I was ma'in$ the whole thin$ up. hen one of them su$$ested that I should ma'e into a story. ,o here I am ri$ht now% finishin$ off the conclusion so others could relate and understand that theyre not the only ones out there with a stran$e boyfriend. 0ut I wouldnt e&actly call 2ar' =un$ ,an$ a stran$e boyfriend. More li'e uni<ue and different. ,o different that only !ee =i Won could lo+e.

0he :n'